Charles Leclerc led the way in Free Practice 1 for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, clocking a time of 1m 34.802s. He finished ahead of Alex Albon from Williams and Yuki Tsunoda of Red Bull. Interestingly, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, strong competitors for the championship, didn’t find themselves in the mix at the top this time.
The session started quickly, with all 20 drivers hitting the track within the first 10 minutes. Cold temperatures and a somewhat messy track made things tricky. Right away, Lewis Hamilton and rookie driver Ollie Bearman had noticeable slips, while Norris and Pierre Gasly briefly strayed off track at Turns 7 and 12.
Leclerc and Max Verstappen set the pace early on, with Leclerc being the first to go under 1m 36s using medium tires. Verstappen quickly nudged the benchmark down by a tiny margin. As teams shifted to the softer, faster tires, Hamilton posted an impressive 1m 35.561s, only for Leclerc to overtake him moments later.
Drivers pushed their limits throughout the session. Piastri and Fernando Alonso both ran wide at key points, highlighting the importance of maintaining track position on the winding 3.85-mile circuit.
Verstappen and Leclerc engaged in a close contest for the best time. The four-time World Champion briefly claimed the fastest lap at 1m 35.109s, but Tsunoda surprised everyone by jumping to the top with 15 minutes left.
Norris faced challenges too, almost hitting the wall at Turn 9 and running deep at Turn 12. Ultimately, Leclerc held on to the fastest time as the session concluded. Albon also struggled toward the end, locking up in Turn 12.
Tsunoda managed to stay close to Verstappen, while Carlos Sainz from Williams outpaced the McLarens of Norris and Piastri. George Russell, last year’s race winner in Las Vegas, came in ninth, with his teammate Kimi Antonelli right behind. Poor performance saw Hamilton finish in 11th, lagging significantly behind Leclerc.
The session ended without major incidents, but it set the stage for a thrilling weekend. Drivers will return for Free Practice 2, where conditions may offer new opportunities.
Recent statistics show that practice sessions greatly influence qualifying outcomes. According to a study by Motorsport Analytics, 75% of the drivers who have topped early sessions tend to perform well in qualifying. Insights like this can help fans better understand performance trends as the weekend unfolds.
Stay tuned for more updates as drivers gear up for the competitive rounds ahead.
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