Hamilton Shines in Las Vegas F1 Practices
Lewis Hamilton continued to showcase his dominance in the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, securing the fastest times in both free practice sessions. In the second session, held late Thursday night local time, Hamilton clocked a remarkable 1'33''825, narrowly edging out Lando Norris of McLaren by just 0.011 seconds. George Russell, Hamilton's teammate at Mercedes, followed closely behind in third place, while Carlos Sainz of Ferrari finished fourth, 0.280 seconds off the pace.
The second practice session was not without its interruptions, as a red flag was waved approximately twenty minutes before the end due to Alexander Albon's Williams stopping on track. This brief halt allowed teams to regroup and focus on testing race pace. Notably, the Red Bull team struggled significantly, with Max Verstappen finishing seventeenth and Sergio Perez in a disappointing position just ahead of him.
In the first practice session, Hamilton also led the pack, setting a time of 1'35''001, which was nearly four tenths faster than his teammate Russell. The session highlighted Mercedes' strong performance as they adapted well to the cooler conditions of the Las Vegas track.
Colapinto's Challenging Debut
Franco Colapinto faced a tumultuous first practice session as he made his debut at the Las Vegas GP. After a challenging weekend in Sao Paulo, where he experienced two accidents, Colapinto's car, which had been hastily rebuilt, struggled on the track. He received a warning flag for a minor infraction and narrowly avoided a crash due to a lack of grip on his soft tires.
The session was marked by a moment of tension when Colapinto inadvertently impeded Carlos Sainz during a fast lap, causing frustration for the Ferrari driver. Despite these challenges, Colapinto managed to finish seventeenth, just behind his teammate Alex Albon, who secured thirteenth place. Hamilton's performance overshadowed the rookie's struggles, but Colapinto's resilience in the face of adversity was evident throughout the session.
