Las Vegas Grand Prix: Weekend Recap

Thursday Practice

The Las Vegas Grand Prix kicked off under the glitz and glamour of the iconic Strip with Lewis Hamilton delivering a commanding performance to top the first practice session. The seven-time world champion led a Mercedes 1-2, eclipsing teammate George Russell with a blistering lap of 1m35.001s set in the closing moments of a session defined by evolving track conditions.

The newly constructed Las Vegas circuit began the evening with a challenging, low-grip surface. A thin layer of dust coated the track, prompting Liam Lawson to compare the conditions to driving in the wet. As drivers navigated the early stages, the circuit gradually rubbered in, with lap times dropping significantly.

Max Verstappen initially set the pace with a 1m44.239s on soft tires, but Kevin Magnussen swiftly eclipsed it with a 1m42.645s effort on mediums. From there, the times tumbled as the field adjusted to the rapidly improving grip.

Russell was the first to break below 1m40s with a 1m39.595s on medium tires, but Hamilton responded with a 1m38.155s. The Briton continued to refine his performance, eventually clocking a 1m36.927s, which withstood a flurry of medium-tire efforts until the Ferraris stepped in with soft compounds.

Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz traded top times late in the session, with Sainz posting a 1m36.230s to briefly lead the charts. However, McLaren's Lando Norris made a bold move on soft tires, setting a 1m35.954s to claim provisional P1 with just minutes to go.

George Russell responded with a 1m35.619s, showcasing the need for careful tire preparation on the cold track. Aided by a tow from Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, Russell edged out Norris, only for Hamilton to upstage everyone with a colossal 0.4s advantage, sealing the session-topping lap of 1m35.001s.

Norris held onto third, opting to switch to mediums late in the session instead of chasing Mercedes’ pace on softs. Leclerc improved on his earlier lap to finish fourth, ahead of Verstappen, who clawed his way to fifth despite struggling to match the leading pace. Sainz ended the session sixth, flanking Verstappen with his earlier efforts.

Fernando Alonso secured seventh for Aston Martin, followed by Oscar Piastri’s McLaren. Gasly and Sergio Perez rounded out the top 10, with the session highlighting a significant performance gap between the frontrunners and midfield contenders.

In FP2, Lewis Hamilton once again edged out McLaren’s Lando Norris by a razor-thin 0.011 seconds, clocking a 1m33.825s on soft tires.

George Russell then bettered the FP1 times, setting a 1m34.979s on medium tires. This was shortly eclipsed by Charles Leclerc’s 1m34.476s as Ferrari capitalized on the evolving track. The session heated up as drivers switched to soft tires, with Russell initially leading before Norris and then Hamilton claimed the top spot.

Hamilton’s best time came just before a red flag halted the session. Williams’ Alex Albon, plagued by fuel system issues, managed only a few laps before his FW46 stopped on track, necessitating the stoppage.

Following the red flag, teams shifted focus to high-fuel runs, leaving the earlier times unchanged. Hamilton’s 1m33.825s stood as the benchmark, followed by Norris and Russell, who secured third, just 0.09 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz.

Leclerc ended the session fifth, ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly. Kevin Magnussen showcased Haas’ improved pace by taking seventh, while McLaren’s Oscar Piastri placed eighth. Nico Hulkenberg and AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda rounded out the top ten.

Red Bull Racing endured a challenging FP2. Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez only managed 17th and 19th respectively, their best laps coming on medium tires. This marked a stark departure from their usual dominance, raising questions about their performance heading into the weekend.

With tight margins at the front and surprising results in the midfield, Friday's sessions promise to deliver more intrigue as teams fine-tune their setups under Las Vegas’ iconic lights. The question of the evening arose: can Hamilton and Mercedes maintain their momentum, or will McLaren and Ferrari strike back?

Final Practice

The Las Vegas Grand Prix saw Mercedes asserting its dominance once again with George Russell setting the fastest time in the final practice session (FP3), completing a clean sweep for the Silver Arrows across all practice sessions. Russell’s impressive 1m33.570s lap secured the top spot before a late red flag halted the action.

The session came to an abrupt pause when Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin came to a stop at the exit of Turn 12, triggering a red flag. Stroll’s car appeared to shut down, with a red light showing on the T-cam, signaling potential electrical issues. Marshals worked to clear the car, but with only a minute left after the session resumed, drivers had no opportunity to improve their times.

The hour-long session began slowly, with only Sergio Perez setting a time in the first 15 minutes. The Red Bull driver commented on the lack of grip compared to Thursday’s FP2 session. Yuki Tsunoda later set a competitive time on soft tires, sparking a flurry of activity as the evolving track conditions allowed for progressively faster laps.

Mercedes, which had led Thursday’s practice sessions, quickly reasserted itself. Lewis Hamilton initially set a 1m34.565s, only for Russell to edge ahead by 0.09s. The duo traded places at the top before Russell solidified his position.

Max Verstappen, who struggled with minimal grip on medium tires for much of the session, called the setup "undriveable" but managed to post a competitive 1m34.137s late in the session. However, Russell’s 1m33.570s proved untouchable as the session unfolded.

Oscar Piastri showcased McLaren’s strong pace, finishing second-fastest, while Carlos Sainz placed third for Ferrari. Lando Norris secured fourth, just ahead of Verstappen in fifth.

Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto delivered impressive results for Williams, securing seventh and eighth positions, respectively, while Kevin Magnussen and Pierre Gasly rounded out the top 10.

With Mercedes looking strong heading into qualifying, the battle for pole position promises to be fiercely competitive. The late-session drama and ever-changing track conditions have set the stage for an exciting showdown in the Las Vegas desert.

Qualifying

The Las Vegas Grand Prix qualifying session delivered high drama and surprises, with Mercedes’ George Russell seizing pole position in a nail-biting Q3 session. Russell outperformed Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and a resurgent Pierre Gasly, while championship leader Max Verstappen and rival Lando Norris struggled to break into the top three,

Q1

The first qualifying session set the tone for a chaotic evening. Red Bull’s Sergio Perez suffered another disappointing Q1 exit, citing grip issues with his RB20. His 16th-place grid position marks a low point in a challenging season. Both Aston Martin drivers also faltered, with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll failing to advance. Stroll’s struggles were compounded by ongoing reliability issues, including a power unit problem in FP3.

Alex Albon (17th) and Valtteri Bottas (20th) joined the list of early casualties. Bottas’ grid penalty ensured he would start the race from the back, adding further frustration for Alfa Romeo.

Q2

The second session saw an alarming moment when Franco Colapinto lost control exiting Turn 16, slamming into the barriers. The crash stripped his Williams of three corners and caused significant damage, ending his day in 14th. Despite the red flag delay, most drivers had completed their runs, with Gasly sneaking into Q3 at the expense of teammate Esteban Ocon and Haas’ Kevin Magnussen.

Zhou Guanyu achieved a rare Q2 appearance, setting the 13th fastest time. Meanwhile, Liam Lawson aborted his final lap attempt and ended 15th.

Q3

Q3 began with George Russell setting the benchmark time of 1m32.811s, placing him ahead of the field during the initial runs. However, Ferrari responded with Charles Leclerc clocking a 1m32.783s before Carlos Sainz eclipsed both with a stunning lap three-tenths quicker.

Russell, the last driver on track, delivered a masterclass under pressure. His final lap of 1m32.312s secured pole, narrowly edging Sainz and demonstrating Mercedes' pace on the Las Vegas circuit. Pierre Gasly starred for Alpine, securing third to split the Ferraris and underline the team’s improving form.

Championship leader Max Verstappen could only manage fifth, alongside McLaren’s Lando Norris in sixth. Yuki Tsunoda and Oscar Piastri took seventh and eighth, while Nico Hulkenberg and Lewis Hamilton rounded out the top ten. Hamilton’s session was plagued by errors, including a lap-time deletion after losing control in Turn 4, leaving him unable to match his promising Q2 pace.

Russell’s pole sets the stage for an unpredictable Las Vegas Grand Prix, with multiple contenders poised to challenge for victory. As the championship nears its conclusion, the desert showdown promises excitement under the neon lights.

Race

The Las Vegas Grand Prix delivered an electrifying mix of strategic battles and significant milestones, with George Russell dominating the race for Mercedes and Max Verstappen clinching his fourth consecutive Formula 1 World Championship. While Russell led a Mercedes 1-2 ahead of Lewis Hamilton, Verstappen’s steady drive to fifth ensured he sealed the title ahead of rival Lando Norris.

Starting from pole, George Russell maintained his lead into the first corner, holding off early threats from the Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. Leclerc briefly surged into second but quickly faced degradation on his medium tires due to pushing too much too early, falling behind Sainz and Verstappen by Lap 7.

Meanwhile, Hamilton, starting 10th, began carving his way through the field. Swift overtakes on Yuki Tsunoda and Oscar Piastri brought him into contention, and a long opening stint on hard tires positioned him well for the second phase of the race. Magnussen and Lawson battled fiercely in the middle of the field.

Ferrari’s pit stop strategy proved pivotal as Carlos Sainz hesitated entering the pit lane, gifting Hamilton an undercut opportunity. This mistake allowed Hamilton to leapfrog both Ferraris after their stops, putting him on course to challenge Verstappen.

By Lap 31, Hamilton overtook Verstappen with ease, leaving the Dutchman focused on the bigger picture: staying ahead of Norris to secure the championship. The Ferraris, running stronger on hard tires, began to close in on Verstappen, ultimately overtaking him in the latter stages.

Russell’s calm and consistent driving ensured he retained control of the race, even as Hamilton cut the gap to under six seconds with a blistering pace. However, Hamilton’s hard tires began to grain, allowing Russell to stabilize the lead. He crossed the line 7.3 seconds ahead of his teammate, claiming his second win of the season.

Behind the Mercedes duo, Sainz secured third place after holding off Leclerc, who had lost momentum following his early surge. Verstappen finished fifth, enough to seal the championship as Norris, struggling with tire graining, finished a distant sixth.

Norris salvaged the fastest lap of the race with a late switch to soft tires, finishing comfortably ahead of teammate Piastri in seventh. Nico Hulkenberg’s eighth-place finish delivered valuable points for Haas, moving them ahead of Alpine in the constructors’ standings after Pierre Gasly retired with a suspected engine failure.

Tsunoda added two points for RB's fight for sixth in the team standings, finishing ninth ahead of Sergio Perez, who claimed the final point in 10th. Fernando Alonso narrowly missed out on points after a challenging race for Aston Martin.

While Russell celebrated victory, the spotlight also shone on Verstappen, who became a four-time world champion. A calculated and composed drive demonstrated his strategic mindset, ensuring the championship was his regardless of rivals’ efforts.

The Las Vegas GP showcased both the strength of Mercedes and Verstappen’s unyielding dominance, setting the stage for an exciting final couple races of the season.