2024 Las Vegas GP FP2: Hamilton fastest again Norris in second

Lewis Hamilton dominated both Friday practice sessions at the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix, kicking off the weekend in style as championship leader Max Verstappen struggled to find pace.

Hamilton topped the timesheets in an unrepresentative first practice and reinforced Mercedes’ strong form by setting the fastest lap in the second session in the cool Vegas conditions.

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Mercedes has thrived in cooler conditions this season, and Vegas, with night temperatures hovering around 15 degrees Celsius, plays to its strengths as the coldest venue on the F1 calendar.

Russell initially set the pace on soft tyres during second practice, but Hamilton responded with the fastest lap just before a brief red flag caused by Alex Albon, who suffered a fuel system issue with 20 minutes remaining.

Lando Norris came close, just 0.011 seconds behind Hamilton. The McLaren driver faced a pivotal weekend, needing to outscore Verstappen by at least three points in the race to keep his championship hopes alive. Red Bull’s apparent lack of speed offered a glimmer of opportunity.

Verstappen, notably, did not attempt a run on soft tyres during the second session and finished a lowly 17th, far from challenging the front runners. After a commanding wet-weather victory in Brazil, Red Bull appeared to be on the back foot again, a recurring theme in the latter half of the season.

George Russell showcased strong pace throughout the day, finishing third, just 0.190 seconds behind teammate Lewis Hamilton, who is nearing the end of his 12 seasons with Mercedes before his move to Ferrari in 2025.

Ferrari remained competitive, with Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc completing the top five, while Pierre Gasly delivered a surprise performance for Alpine, securing sixth just one race after their unexpected double podium in São Paulo.

While most drivers completed qualifying simulations, championship leader Max Verstappen and Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez struggled for consistency. Both faced lock-ups and off-track moments throughout Friday.

Las Vegas GP FP2 Results

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix FP2, 21 November 2024

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Time	Gap	Laps
1	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	1:33.825		25
2	4	Lando Norris	McLaren Mercedes	1:33.836	+0.011s	25
3	63	George Russell	Mercedes	1:34.015	+0.190s	29
4	55	Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	1:34.105	+0.280s	29
5	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1:34.313	+0.488s	29
6	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine Renault	1:34.651	+0.826s	30
7	20	Kevin Magnussen	Haas Ferrari	1:34.686	+0.861s	20
8	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren Mercedes	1:34.798	+0.973s	26
9	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Haas Ferrari	1:34.818	+0.993s	24
10	22	Yuki Tsunoda	RB Honda RBPT	1:34.997	+1.172s	23
11	77	Valtteri Bottas	Kick Sauber Ferrari	1:35.020	+1.195s	28
12	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine Renault	1:35.221	+1.396s	26
13	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes	1:35.251	+1.426s	27
14	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes	1:35.440	+1.615s	25
15	30	Liam Lawson	RB Honda RBPT	1:35.671	+1.846s	24
16	24	Zhou Guanyu	Kick Sauber Ferrari	1:35.765	+1.940s	28
17	1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT	1:35.834	+2.009s	25
18	43	Franco Colapinto	Williams Mercedes	1:35.868	+2.043s	30
19	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT	1:36.055	+2.230s	25
20	23	Alexander Albon	Williams Mercedes	1:39.629	+5.804s	4

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Ben is a staff writer specialising in F1 from the 1990s to the modern era. Ben has been following Formula 1 since 1986 and is an avid researcher who loves understanding the technology that makes it one of the most exciting motorsport on the planet. He listens to podcasts about F1 on a daily basis, and enjoys reading books from the inspirational Adrian Newey to former F1 drivers.