F1 Results: Lewis Hamilton tops first F1 Las Vegas GP practice ahead of George Russell after…read more
Lewis Hamilton tops first F1 Las Vegas GP practice ahead of George Russell after…read more
Lewis Hamilton made a strong start to the inaugural F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend by topping the timesheets in the first practice session. The seven-time world champion showcased impressive pace, clocking a best time that was 0.396 seconds faster than his Mercedes teammate, George Russell.
Mercedes appeared confident on the streets of Sin City, with their W15 performing well under the cooler conditions. Both drivers took turns leading the session as teams conducted their initial runs predominantly on medium tires. However, when the session shifted to soft tires, Mercedes’ dominance became clear. Hamilton delivered his quickest lap late in the session, surpassing Russell to secure the top spot.
Lando Norris emerged as the closest competitor to the Mercedes duo, finishing third. The McLaren driver trailed Hamilton by 0.953 seconds, making him the only non-Mercedes driver within a second of the benchmark time. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen rounded out the top five, with Leclerc 1.006 seconds behind Hamilton. Ferrari is anticipated to perform well in the Vegas setting, while Verstappen had a relatively quiet session.
Carlos Sainz, in the second Ferrari, placed sixth, 1.2 seconds off the pace. Behind him, Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), Oscar Piastri (McLaren), Pierre Gasly (Alpine), and Sergio Perez (Red Bull) completed the top ten. Notably, Red Bull struggled, with Perez far off the leaders’ pace and Verstappen unable to challenge at the front.
Kevin Magnussen had a strong showing for Haas early in the session but eventually fell to 11th. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) was 12th, 1.8 seconds behind Hamilton, followed by Alex Albon (Williams) and Esteban Ocon (Alpine).
Valtteri Bottas finished 16th and will face a five-place grid penalty due to an energy store component change. Red Bull’s woes were underscored as their drivers occupied the last two spots, with a lackluster 19th and 20th place performance.
The first practice results indicate a promising weekend for Mercedes, especially given their recent struggles to secure podiums since the summer break. The cooler temperatures and unique Las Vegas circuit layout seem to suit their car. Meanwhile, other teams will need to adjust quickly to keep up, with Ferrari and McLaren showing potential but lagging behind the Silver Arrows in outright pace.
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