LECLERC LEADS FIRST PRACTICE SESSION IN A COLD LAS VEGAS
Free Practice 1 in Las Vegas saw Charles Leclerc finish on top. The Ferrari driver set a best time of 1:34.802, beating Williams’ Alex Albon by 0.166 seconds. Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda was less than three-tenths behind Leclerc.
All 20 drivers went out in the first 10 minutes. The track was cold, a bit dirty, and very fast, which made the cars slide around. Lewis Hamilton and Ollie Bearman had small moments early on, and Lando Norris and Pierre Gasly briefly ran wide at different corners.
Leclerc and Max Verstappen were quick from the start. Leclerc was the first to break into the 1:35s, but Verstappen soon went a little faster. Later, everyone switched to soft tyres. Hamilton set a good lap on them, but Leclerc quickly beat it.
Drivers kept pushing the limits. Norris, Piastri, and Alonso all ran wide while trying to find a rhythm on the long 3.85-mile circuit.
Verstappen and Leclerc traded fastest laps until Tsunoda jumped ahead with 15 minutes to go. Norris touched the wall early in the session and continued to struggle, running wide twice at Turn 12.
Leclerc was then the first to get under 1:35, and his 1:34.802 stayed unbeaten until the end. Albon ended up second despite locking up into the final corner late in the session.
Tsunoda finished ahead of Verstappen, while Carlos Sainz placed in front of Norris and Piastri. Isack Hadjar’s Racing Bulls car split the two McLarens.
George Russell, last year’s Vegas winner, was ninth. His teammate Kimi Antonelli was tenth. Hamilton finished 11th, seven-tenths off the top time.
Gasly led a group of midfield runners including Liam Lawson, Fernando Alonso, and Lance Stroll. Behind them came Bearman, Ocon, Hulkenberg, Bortoleto, and Colapinto.
The session ran smoothly with no major incidents. Drivers will be back on track later today for the more important Free Practice 2 session.
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