Lewis Hamilton led a Mercedes one-two with teammate George Russell during the first practice session as Formula 1 made its anticipated return to The Strip for the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
The Mercedes team capitalised on using the softest and fastest tyre compound late in the session, taking advantage of the rapidly improving track conditions under the city lights.
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Hamilton clocked a fastest lap of 1:35.001, finishing nearly 0.4 seconds ahead of Russell. McLaren’s Lando Norris and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc followed in third and fourth, respectively, each around a second behind the seven-time World Champion.
Lap times steadily improved as the track became rubbered in, but the session truly came alive when Ferrari switched to the soft tyres with about 20 minutes to go, surging to the top of the leaderboard.
Lando Norris quickly responded, setting a new fastest time, but Mercedes—already showing strong pace on the medium compound—waited until the session’s closing moments to make their move.
Both Russell and Hamilton completed two flying laps, each progressively raising the bar. Hamilton, running behind his teammate on track, capitalised on the opportunity to deliver the final statement, setting a commanding lap time that solidified his position at the top.
Max Verstappen, poised to secure his fourth consecutive Drivers’ title this weekend, finished fifth, just over a second off Hamilton’s pace. The Dutchman can clinch the championship by finishing ahead of Norris or by ensuring he loses no more than three points to the McLaren driver.
Carlos Sainz took sixth place for Ferrari, a team many had tipped as favourites for the weekend due to their strong form in Las Vegas last year and recent competitive performances.
Ferrari aimed to close a 36-point gap to Constructors’ Championship leaders McLaren, while Red Bull sat another 13 points further back in the standings.
Las Vegas GP FP1 Results
2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix FP1, 21 November 2024
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