Hamilton fastest as Verstappen struggles in Las Vegas practice

Lewis Hamilton led both practice sessions on the opening day of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris and his Mercedes teammate George Russell. Hamilton was just 0.011 seconds faster than Norris in the second session, and 0.396 seconds clear of Russell in the first.

However, reigning champion Max Verstappen had a challenging day, ending up 17th in his Red Bull, struggling with tire grip and over one-lap pace. The Dutchman, who can clinch his fourth title this weekend, acknowledged the team’s difficulties, stating, “It feels massively tire-related… it is like driving on ice.”

Verstappen’s title hopes remain intact as long as he does not lose more than two points to Norris in Saturday’s race. Mercedes’ Toto Wolff played down the significance of their performance, but Russell remained optimistic about their form. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc were also competitive during race simulations.