FP2: Hamilton dominates second practice session in Las Vegas GP

Lewis Hamilton continued to lead the pack in Thursday’s second practice session for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, setting the fastest time and demonstrating Mercedes' strong form. Hamilton narrowly edged out McLaren's Lando Norris and his own Mercedes teammate, George Russell, with current championship leader Max Verstappen finishing a lackluster 17th.

FP2: Hamilton keeps Mercedes on top

Building on an encouraging first session for both himself and the Mercedes team, Hamilton clocked a benchmark time of 1m 33.825s on soft tyres during the late-night practice. This lap placed him just a few thousandths of a second ahead of Norris and a few tenths clear of Russell.

FP1: Hamilton leads Mercedes 1-2 during first practice in Las Vegas

During the initial practice session, Hamilton's impressive performance led a Mercedes 1-2, setting the stage for the continued dominance in FP2. The session was briefly halted by a red flag when Alex Albon’s Williams encountered a fuel system problem, forcing him to retire midway through the practice.

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc secured the fourth and fifth fastest times, respectively, while Pierre Gasly finished sixth for Alpine, even after dealing with traffic on his fast lap.

Haas put on a solid display with Kevin Magnussen placing seventh and Nico Hulkenberg ninth, sandwiching the other McLaren of Oscar Piastri, as Yuki Tsunoda brought his car up to 10th after a challenging FP1.

Valtteri Bottas and Esteban Ocon ended up 11th and 12th in their Sauber and Alpine machines, with Bottas facing a five-place grid drop due to an engine penalty. The Aston Martin duo Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso followed just behind.

Liam Lawson finished 15th, slightly off his teammate Tsunoda's pace. The second Sauber of Zhou Guanyu tailed off in 16th despite the tricky conditions that limited optimal lap opportunities.

Red Bull struggles continue

It was a subdued session for reigning champions Red Bull, with Verstappen reporting "no grip" during his early laps. His sole effort on soft tyres was cut short by the red flag, leaving him 17th. His teammate Sergio Perez had a similarly tough outing, placing 19th after facing similar difficulties. He sat between Williams drivers Franco Colapinto and Albon, the latter sidelined for the rest of the session.

Drivers and teams now have time to analyze the data and make necessary adjustments before the third and final practice session on Friday evening at 18:30 local time, followed by the crucial qualifying session at 22:00.

Stay tuned for what promises to be an exciting weekend of racing in Las Vegas.

Up Next

• McLaren remains cautious as championship nears
• Teams adapt cars following FIA skid block regulation tweak

Season-Defining Headlines