P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton opened the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend atop the timesheets by setting the fastest time in first practice on Thursday evening. After 2023’s issues, with practice delayed and curtailed, there were no such problems for Las Vegas’ sophomore running, as drivers racked up mileage around the streets of Nevada’s famous city. […]
After encountering issues in 2023, Las Vegas’ sophomore running went smoothly without any delays or disruptions during practice, allowing drivers to accumulate significant mileage through the streets of the city. Despite the cold weather conditions, Lewis Hamilton set a blistering time of 1:35.001s on his final flying lap, surpassing his teammate George Russell for the top spot on the timesheets. Hamilton’s impressive lap put him 0.396s ahead of Russell, while Lando Norris finished third, staying within a second of the seven-time World Champion. In order to stay in the championship race, Norris needs to outscore Max Verstappen by at least three points in the upcoming race. Verstappen, who faced steering wheel connection issues, ended up in fifth place, closely trailing Norris. Ferrari secured fourth and sixth positions with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, respectively, and Fernando Alonso claimed seventh for Aston Martin. Oscar Piastri slipped to eighth place in the final stages, with Pierre Gasly of Alpine and Sergio Perez of Red Bull completing the top 10. Despite some drivers running wide at the end of the Strip, all 20 drivers managed to avoid major incidents throughout the practice session.
