Leclerc Sets the Pace in the Initial Practice of the Las Vegas Grand Prix
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc stood out by setting the fastest time in the first practice session of the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Leclerc beat Williams’ Alex Albon by 0.166 seconds, while Yuki Tsunoda placed third. Max Verstappen, in the other Red Bull, finished in fourth position, three tenths of a second behind the leader. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, from McLaren, were in sixth and eighth place, respectively. The Formula One season is nearing its end, with Norris leading his teammate Piastri by 24 points before the final three races. McLaren has been the most outstanding team this year, but the street circuit on the Strip has not favored their cars in the two previous races held here.In the first session of the weekend, Norris went off track twice at Turn 12 during fast laps and finished the one-hour session 0.456 seconds behind. Piastri was even further back, 0.648 seconds off the time set by Leclerc.
Verstappen is the only other driver who still has chances in the championship, being 49 points behind Norris, the equivalent of two victories. There are only 83 points available in the last three competitions, starting in Nevada, then in Qatar and finally in Abu Dhabi. The Dutch driver, who impressed by finishing third from his pit lane start in the previous race in Brazil, could be encouraged by McLaren’s lack of initial speed. In other results, Carlos Sainz finished fifth for Williams, and Isack Hadjar was seventh in his RB. Last year’s winner, George Russell, could only reach ninth place. Lewis Hamilton finished in 11th place. The second session will begin at 20:00 local time (04:00 GMT).
