The second free practice session of the Las Vegas Grand Prix has just concluded, with Lewis Hamilton once again leading the pack.
The second free practice session of the Las Vegas Grand Prix has just wrapped up. At the top, once again, is Lewis Hamilton, who, after finishing in first place in FP1, claimed the fastest time in FP2 with a lap of 1:33.825.
A Mercedes that once again proved competitive, as shown by George Russell’s third place and the ease with which both the yellow and red tires were heated up. Between the two Silver Arrows, Lando Norris finished just a few milliseconds behind Lewis Hamilton’s top time and showed strong pace in the race simulation.
Ferrari confirmed its form with Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc finishing in fourth and fifth positions, respectively. The two Ferrari drivers tested a medium-low downforce wing, similar to the Monza setup. A key factor will be the management of the soft tire temperatures during tomorrow’s qualifying, while Ferrari showed consistency on race pace.
On Las Vegas’ Thursday, the two Red Bulls, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, were notably off the pace, with both drivers having several off-track moments due to a lack of grip in their cars. Verstappen finished in a rather anonymous 17th place, while Perez ended up second to last.
Pierre Gasly continued his strong form, finishing sixth in FP2, ahead of an out-of-sorts Oscar Piastri, who struggled compared to his teammate in the qualifying simulation. The Australian McLaren driver lost a second to Norris on the flying lap but showed strong pace in the race simulation. There were also positive signs for the two Haas drivers, Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hülkenberg, who placed seventh and ninth, respectively. The battle for sixth in the Constructors’ Championship is fierce, with Alpine and Haas currently more convincing than Racing Bulls and Williams.
The next session is scheduled for 03:30 CET tomorrow for the third and final free practice session, with qualifying set to begin at 07:00.
Photo: X Ferrari and Mercedes