Las Vegas Grand Prix – Free Practice 1: Hamilton in the lead of the first session in Las Vegas

Lewis Hamilton took the lead in the first free practice session of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, setting a time of 1:35.001 on a particularly tricky urban circuit. The seven-time world champion finished ahead of his teammate George Russell by 0.396 seconds, allowing Mercedes to achieve a promising one-two finish.

The session took place in complex conditions, with the drivers having to deal with a very dusty and particularly slippery track. “It’s like driving in the rain,” said Liam Lawson at the start of the session, illustrating the difficulties faced by the entire field.

Lando Norris completed the top 3, 0.953 seconds behind the leader, closely followed by Charles Leclerc, who placed his Ferrari in fourth position, 1.006 seconds behind. The reigning world champion Max Verstappen had to settle for fifth place, over a second behind Hamilton, while expressing his frustration about technical issues with his steering wheel disconnecting randomly.

The session was marked by several minor incidents, notably off-track excursions due to a lack of grip. The pit entry line proved to be particularly problematic, with several drivers, including Franco Colapinto and Alexander Albon, receiving a black and white flag for crossing the white line. George Russell also pointed out that the pit entry line is almost impossible to see.

Times quickly evolved as the track cleaned up, dropping from 1:44 at the start of the session to 1:35 in the final minutes. Drivers alternated between medium and soft tires, with the latter providing the best performance towards the end of the session.

On the other competitors side, Carlos Sainz finished sixth, followed by Fernando Alonso, Oscar Piastri, Pierre Gasly, and Sergio Perez completing the top 10. It is worth noting that Valtteri Bottas will have to deal with a grid penalty on Sunday, having had to use his fourth energy store of the season.

The circuit, which winds through the streets of Las Vegas passing in front of iconic landmarks such as Caesars Palace, the Bellagio, and the spectacular Sphere, seems to offer a significant technical challenge to the drivers. Tire management appears crucial for the rest of the weekend, as several drivers have reported graining issues, especially on the front left tire.

This first free practice session in Las Vegas, much smoother than last year’s, which was interrupted after only nine minutes following an incident with a manhole cover, allowed the teams to gather valuable data for the rest of the weekend. Mercedes seems to have found a good pace right from the start, but the progress of their rivals in the upcoming sessions will need to be closely monitored.