Lewis Hamilton topped the timesheets in the first practice session of the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, setting a time 0.396 seconds quicker than his Mercedes teammate, George Russell. Mercedes showed strong form early in the weekend, with Hamilton looking particularly comfortable in the W15.
Both Hamilton and Russell briefly held the fastest times during the session, as most teams began on medium tyres. However, when switching to soft tyres, Mercedes’ advantage became clear, with Hamilton waiting until the final moments to edge ahead of Russell. Lando Norris was the closest challenger, finishing in third, 0.953 seconds behind Hamilton.
While Mercedes has not been on the podium since the summer break, they’ve historically excelled in cooler conditions, and this session was no exception. Norris was the only driver within a second of Hamilton’s pace, followed by Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen, who completed the top five. Leclerc, 1.006 seconds off Hamilton, could be a contender this weekend, with Ferrari expected to perform well.
Carlos Sainz secured sixth, 1.2 seconds behind, while Fernando Alonso, Oscar Piastri, Pierre Gasly, and Sergio Perez rounded out the top 10. Kevin Magnussen was a regular fixture in the top 10 for much of the session but finished 11th. Lance Stroll, 1.8 seconds off Hamilton’s pace, ended up in 12th, ahead of Alex Albon and Esteban Ocon. Valtteri Bottas, who will take a five-place grid penalty due to a new energy store component, finished 16th. Red Bull struggled in the session, with both drivers finishing 19th and 20th.
