Lewis Hamilton maintained his dominant form from the earlier session to complete Friday’s practice double at the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix.
The Mercedes driver set a blistering lap time of 1:33.825 in second practice edging out McLaren’s Lando Norris by a mere 0.011 seconds while his teammate George Russell finished third almost two-tenths behind.
The performance not only solidified Lewis Hamilton’s position as a frontrunner but also highlighted Mercedes’ strong pace at the Las Vegas Strip Circuit which presented a challenge due to its unique characteristics and the cooler temperatures that affected grip levels throughout the sessions.
The second practice for 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix took place under the night sky of Las Vegas, where drivers were eager to refine their setups ahead of the qualifying rounds. The cooler temperatures presented a different challenge compared to the earlier session, as teams worked to find optimal tire strategies and balance for their cars.
Hamilton’s lap came just before a red flag to Alex Albon’s Williams encountering a fuel system issue that forced him to park on the side of the track.
This incident interrupted the flow of the session but did not deter Hamilton from maintaining his momentum as he had already established a solid benchmark.
As the session progressed, it became evident that grip was at a premium on the circuit, with several drivers struggling to find their footing. Championship leader Max Verstappen struggled throughout the session, finishing in 17th place after running wide at Turn 14 and struggling with overall car balance.
His Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez also had a challenging outing as well finishing down in 19th after struggling to put in a representative time on soft tires. The disappointing performance from Red Bull raised eyebrows among fans and analysts alike, considering their usual dominance in recent races.
In contrast, Lewis Hamilton’s performance was complemented by strong showings from his Mercedes teammate Russell and McLaren’s Norris. Russell’s time of 1:34.015 placed him firmly in third position, confirming Mercedes’ competitive edge during this practice day.
Lando Norris demonstrated impressive pace as well, consistently running near the front and showing that McLaren is ready to challenge for podium positions at the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Ferrari drivers Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc rounded out the top five, finishing fourth and fifth respectively. Both drivers appeared confident on track but acknowledged that they still needed to improve their setups to compete effectively against Mercedes and McLaren.
Alpine’s Pierre Gasly secured sixth place with a time of 1:34.651 despite facing some traffic during his runs. His performance was crucial for the Enstone outfit as they aim to solidify their position in the Constructors’ Championship amidst fierce competition from Haas and other midfield teams.
Haas also had a noteworthy session as both Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg managed to break into the top ten, finishing seventh and ninth respectively. Magnussen’s best lap was clocked at 1:34.686 while Hulkenberg followed closely behind at 1:34.818.
Meanwhile Oscar Piastri finished eighth in the sister McLaren with a time of 1:34.798, indicating that both cars are performing well and could be serious contenders for points this weekend.
The mid-tier positions saw Yuki Tsunoda from Red Bull finish tenth with a time of 1:34.997, while Valtteri Bottas from Sauber came in eleventh at 1:35.020. Alpine’s Esteban Ocon was 12th, followed by Aston Martin duo Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso from in 13th and 14th respectively.
The session proved disastrous for Williams as Alex Albon’s issues left him at the bottom of the time sheets with an unrepresentative lap time of 1:39.629 after being sidelined for most of the session due to his car’s fuel system failure.
Meanwhile his teammate Franco Colapinto finished eighteenth with a time of 1:35.868.
Overall, Hamilton’s clean sweep of practice sessions sets an optimistic tone for Mercedes heading into qualifying for the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix. The team has demonstrated strong pace and consistency, which will be crucial as they look to convert this performance into race results.
