First part of the free training
Dark. Dry. Air +14C, highway +16C
All sessions of the Las Vegas Grand Prix were pushed back a day, with training taking place on Thursday evening – the first session starting at 6:30 PM local time, after sunset. All teams worked only with the main riders.
The FIA and Formula 1 have done everything they can to avoid a repeat of last year’s drainage cover fiasco, and all track equipment has been double-checked.
At the start of the weekend, the asphalt was dirty, there was literally dust in the air, the riders complained of poor grip and were very careful when accelerating. Pirelli brought the softest compounds to the city circuit; the team started the first practice with Medium tires, which grained quickly.
Traffic was in the way, but the session went smoothly. After braking errors, Norris, Zhou and Verstappen drove into the safety pocket. Stroll returned to the pits, where mechanics examined the underbody, but then left again.
Colapinto and Albon were shown black and white flags, warning them not to cross the white line at the pit lane entrance – the drivers complained that this was not visible from the cockpit.
Lewis Hamilton set the best time, completing a lap in 1:35.001 and four tenths ahead of his teammate.
First part of the free training
| Pilot | Team | Time | Difference | Circles |
| 1. L.Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:35,001 | – | 26 |
| 2. D. Russell | Mercedes | 1:35,397 | +0.396 | 29 |
| 3. L.Norris | McLaren | 1:35,954 | +0.953 | 27 |
| 4. S. Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:36,007 | +1,006 | 27 |
| 5. M. Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:36,038 | +1,037 | 25 |
| 6. K.Sainz | Ferrari | 1:36,218 | +1,217 | 26 |
| 7. F. Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:36,262 | +1,261 | 25 |
| 8. O. Piastri | McLaren | 1:36,451 | +1,450 | 26 |
| 9. P. Gasly | Alps | 1:36,478 | +1,477 | 24 |
| 10. C. Perez | Red Bull | 1:36,536 | +1,535 | 25 |
| 11. K. Magnussen | Hare | 1:36,811 | +1,810 | 24 |
| 12. L. Walk | Aston Martin | 1:36,817 | +1,816 | 25 |
| 13. A. Elbon | Williams | 1:36,948 | +1,947 | 26 |
| 14. E.Okon | Alps | 1:37.152 | +2,151 | 25 |
| 15. N. Hulkenberg | Hare | 1:37,200 | +2,199 | 24 |
| 16. V. Bottas | Sauber | 1:37.765 | +2,764 | 25 |
| 17. F. Colapinto | Williams | 1:38.025 | +3,024 | 28 |
| 18. G.Zhou | Sauber | 1:38,350 | +3,349 | 23 |
| 19. Yu.Tsunoda | RB | 1:38,574 | +3,573 | 23 |
| 20. L. Lawson | RB | 1:38,730 | +3,729 | 28 |
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
