Official F1 Journal Formula 1 Thursday Round Up - Las Vegas Grand Prix

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Lewis Hamilton topped the timesheets for Free Practice One and Two in Las Vegas on Thursday night. George Russell and Lando Norris finished second and third in both sessions, just switching the order - for the second all-British top three of the day.

Drivers used both sessions to get a feel of the cool and slippery track, with numerous drivers going wide on the corners and briefly leaving the track.

Alex Albon brought out the only Red Flag of the two sessions after a previous fuel system problem left him in the garage for a considerable time in Free Practice Two. When he did get back on track, his Williams stopped and had to be removed.

Meanwhile, further back in the field, Valtteri Bottas will receive a five-place grid penalty for a new power unit component.

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Free Practice One

Top 10 Results
1) Lewis Hamilton     1:35.001
2) George Russell      +0.396
3) Lando Norris          +0.953
4) Charles Leclerc      +1.006
5) Max Verstappen     +1.037
6) Carlos Sainz           +1.217
7) Fernando Alonso    +1.262
8) Oscar Piastri           +1.450
9) Pierre Gasly           +1.477
10) Sergio Perez         +1.535

Free Practice One started at 18:30 Las Vegas time on Thursday evening, with drivers heading out onto the track immediately to feel the track's grip levels.

The first part of the session brought plenty of slips and slides in the cool and slippery track conditions. Drivers struggled to stay on track, especially at Turn 14, with both Verstappen and Norris taking to the run-off area early in the session.

Drivers struggled to see the white line at the pit entry, with lots of other lines and dirt on the track. Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto were both noted for failing to follow the Race Director's instructions and for crossing the white line at the pit entry.

At the halfway point, Lewis Hamilton topped the timesheet ahead of his teammate Russell and Norris in third. Leclerc, Sainz, Verstappen, Piastri and Gasly followed this.

Hamilton increased his lead with a lap time 1:35.001 to finish four-tenths ahead of Russell in second, with Norris rounding out the top three.

© Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

Free Practice Two

Top 10 Results
1) Lewis Hamilton       1:33.825
2) Lando Norris             +0.011
3) George Russell         +0.190
4) Carlos Sainz              +0.280
5) Charles Leclerc         +0.488
6) Pierre Gasly              +0.826
7) Kevin Magnussen     +0.861
8) Oscar Piastri              +0.973
9) Nico Hulkenberg       +0.993
10) Yuki Tsunoda          +1.172

Starting at 22:00 Thursday night, Las Vegas time, Free Practice Two again saw drivers leaving the track and briefly raising yellow flags as the even colder conditions got the better of their breaks with the long Las Vegas Strip straight.

Lewis Hamilton again topped the session with a 1:33.825 lap on soft tyres, followed by Lando Norris and George Russell for the second all-British top three of the day.

Alex Albon briefly brought out the only Red Flag of the session after a previous fuel system problem left him in the garage for a considerable time. When he did get back on track, his Williams stopped and had to be removed, and he didn't participate in the session further.

Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc also had a number of runs on soft tyres and finished the session in fourth and fifth place behind the Brits. Pierre Gasly finished in sixth place after a great session for Alpine.

Haas drivers also ended the session in the top ten, as did Yuki Tsunoda in his RB. Further back, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez finished the session in 17th and 19th after the Red Flag interrupted their soft tyre compound running.

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Anny Wooldridge
​Writer at F1 Journal

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