George Russell Sets the Pace in the Final Practice of the Las Vegas Grand Prix
George Russell, Mercedes driver, led the final practice of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, surpassing Max Verstappen of Red Bull.
The session, which began with the drivers using intermediate tires due to the rain, saw a constant improvement in lap times as the track dried. Russell edged out Verstappen by 0.227 seconds at the end of the session.
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, rivals in the fight for the championship, finished in the last positions. Both drivers were called to the pits in the final minutes, missing the opportunity to take advantage of the track improvement.
Norris, who led the FP2 practice session on Thursday, leads his teammate by 24 points before Saturday’s race in Las Vegas, while Verstappen is 49 points behind.
The classification will begin at 8 p.m. local time.Alex Albon, Williams driver, surprised by placing third, although 0.821 seconds behind Russell’s time.
Isack Hadjar from Racing Bulls was fourth, followed by Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli, Russell’s teammate at Mercedes.
In Friday’s session, the incident of the loose manhole cover that caused two red flags in the second practice session on Thursday night was not repeated. The FIA reported that repairs were carried out overnight and the manhole cover was welded.
