FormulaNerds Cut To The Race Podcast

Las Vegas

Las Vegas Grand Prix: F1 Free Practice 1 Results

Find out what happened in the first practice session of Formula 1’s Vegas weekend

Formula 1 drivers take part of a dusty and slippery but educational Free Practice session in Las Vegas.

Norris Las Vegas
Lando Norris on track during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Las Vegas at Las Vegas Strip Circuit on November 21, 2024 (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

With just three rounds to go in the 2024 Formula 1 season, the stakes are high for the ten teams and 20 drivers.

Lando Norris’ title fights aren’t quite dead yet, though the British driver would have to outscore Max Verstappen by three points this weekend to remain in contention.

McLaren has a comfortable lead (49 points) over Red Bull in the Constructor’s Championship, but their lead over their new closest rival, Ferrari, is slightly less comfortable (36 points).

But it was the Mercedes pair of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell who topped Free Practice, the pair finishing the session on top ahead of Norris in third.

Getting started

Drivers didn’t hesitate to get on track at the start of practice, most of the grid opting to get out straight away. RB’s Liam Lawson reported a slippery track, saying that “it feels like I’m driving in the wet, honestly” over his team radio.

Haas’ Kevin Magnussen was the early pacesetter, setting a 1:42.645 on his second lap and overtaking Verstappen on the timing boards by over a second and a half.

The Mercedes drivers also got off to a good start, Russell going just faster than Magnussen to take P1 and Hamilton slotting into third as all the drivers continued to struggle with grip.

Lap times slowly trended downwards, Hamilton making the jump into the 1:38s range to go fastest over Verstappen and Russell with fifteen minutes gone in the hour-long session.

The Alpines, both podium-sitters last time out in Brazil, were the final cars on track and the last to record a time. Pierre Gasly managed 12th on his first attempt and Esteban Ocon was down in 20th.

With 20 minutes down, the Mercedes pair were on top as Hamilton and Russell led Charles Leclerc, Norris, and Carlos Sainz in the top five. Most drivers were out on the medium tyre, but Verstappen on softs made a jump on the timing screens from tenth up to seventh.

Timings from the Las Vegas Grand Prix Free Practice 1 twenty minutes into the session (Image Credit: @F1 on X)

The other driver on track running the soft tyre was Verstappen Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez. Perez faired better than Verstappen, setting a time that was +1.336s slower than Hamilton’s to go fifth overall.

Halfway point

The timer ticked down to the halfway point and everyone but Norris, Zhou Guanyu, and the Aston Martin drivers remained on track as the rest of the grid came into the pits. With a clear track, Norris jumped up to third place overall.

The track presented a tricky challenge for drivers, not just because of the low grip but also because of the dust on the surface. Many drivers continued to complain of low gripÂ? due to the conditions as the session wore on.

But some drivers managed to make it work more than others, Mercedes continuing to hold the top spots, and the Haas drivers improving as Magnussen went third overall with 24 minutes to go. His teammate Nico Hulkenberg was not far behind in seventh place sandwiched between the two Ferraris.

There was a brief yellow flag in Sector 3 as Hamilton became the next in a line of drivers to go off in Turn 14.

With 18 minutes to go, Leclerc set a time of 1:36.430 to go fastest overall this session, taking the crown away from Mercedes. Not long after, Sainz went faster still, +0.212s faster than Leclerc. The Mercedes continued to tumble down the order, dropping to fifth and sixth as Oscar Piastri and Magnussen both usurped them on the timing screen.

Fifth and sixth became sixth and seventh for Mercedes a minute later, as Norris went fastest overall and became the first driver with a time in the 1:35s range.

Final moments

With ten minutes on the clock, Norris led Leclerc and Sainz, with Piastri and Gasly completing the top five.

Conversely, down at the bottom of the grid were the usual suspects: Lance Stroll in 16th, and Yuki Tsunoda, Franco Colapinto, Fernando Alonso, and Liam Lawson completing the bottom five.

Russell jumped to the top again, setting a 1:35.619 with less than six minutes to go. Not to be beaten, his teammate came back and Hamilton topped the timing screen before Russell again went fastest overall, over two tenths up on his previous lap.

It was Hamilton who had the last laugh, setting a 1:35.001 to take P1 in the final seconds of the session, 0.396s ahead of his teammate. Norris finished in third, Leclerc and Verstappen in fourth and fifth behind.

Sainz finished sixth ahead of Alonso, while Piastri, Gasly, and Perez completed the top ten.

Full results can be found here.

Feature Image Credit: Sam Bagnall/LAT Images via Getty Images

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Zeen is a next generation WordPress theme. It’s powerful, beautifully designed and comes with everything you need to engage your visitors and increase conversions.

Back to the top