F1 Results: Lewis Hamilton tops first F1 Las Vegas GP practice ahead of…read more
Lewis Hamilton tops first F1 Las Vegas GP practice ahead of George Russell after…read more
In the opening practice session of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Mercedes emerged as the dominant force, with Lewis Hamilton setting the fastest time late in the session. As the teams switched to soft tires, Hamilton’s pace was unmatched, securing the top spot ahead of his teammate, George Russell. Hamilton’s performance was particularly impressive as he clocked in the quickest lap late in the session, moving ahead of Russell to finish in P1.
McLaren’s Lando Norris was the closest competitor to the Mercedes pair, finishing in third place, 0.953 seconds behind Hamilton. Norris’ performance stood out as the only non-Mercedes driver within a second of the top time, underlining McLaren’s competitive edge on the Las Vegas circuit. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc rounded off the top five, 1.006 seconds off the pace set by Hamilton. Ferrari is expected to perform well in the unique Las Vegas setting, with Leclerc showing solid pace. Meanwhile, reigning world champion Max Verstappen had a relatively uneventful session, finishing in fifth place, a position that does not reflect the usual dominance of Red Bull.
Carlos Sainz, who was driving the second Ferrari, finished in sixth place, 1.2 seconds behind Hamilton. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso came in seventh, while McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez completed the top ten. Despite their recent dominance throughout the season, Red Bull struggled during this practice session, with Perez being significantly off the pace and Verstappen failing to challenge for the top spot. This disappointing result was a far cry from the performances Red Bull had been accustomed to, leaving the team with much to address heading into the remainder of the weekend.
Haas driver Kevin Magnussen showed promising form early in the session, briefly holding a competitive position before slipping down to 11th by the end of practice. Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll finished in 12th place, 1.8 seconds behind Hamilton, with Alex Albon of Williams and Esteban Ocon of Alpine rounding out the positions further down the order.
One of the notable aspects of the session was Valtteri Bottas’ 16th-place finish for Alfa Romeo. Bottas will also face a five-place grid penalty due to a change in his car’s energy store component. This adds further pressure to an already challenging session for Alfa Romeo, while Red Bull’s difficulties were highlighted by their drivers taking the final two spots of the practice session, with Verstappen and Perez failing to perform at their usual level.
The results from the first practice session suggest a promising weekend ahead for Mercedes, who have struggled to secure podium finishes since the summer break. The unique characteristics of the Las Vegas circuit, coupled with cooler temperatures, appear to play into the strengths of the Mercedes car. The Silver Arrows’ strong performance early on will give them a much-needed boost as they look to capitalize on their pace throughout the weekend. On the other hand, other teams will need to adjust quickly if they are to keep pace with the Mercedes duo, particularly Ferrari and McLaren, who have shown potential but still trail behind Mercedes in terms of outright pace.
For Red Bull, this practice session was a wake-up call, as their drivers were unable to challenge for the top spots. The team will need to address their performance issues before qualifying and the race, with Verstappen and Perez both likely to need adjustments to their setups or strategies to regain their competitive edge. Meanwhile, the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend continues to unfold, with teams eager to adapt to the challenging circuit in hopes of securing strong results.
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