Practice 1 Report - Leclerc leads dusty opening Vegas practice

Charles Leclerc
© Ferrari

Charles Leclerc set the early benchmark of the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend, topping a dusty and low-grip FP1 with a 1m34.802s lap as Ferrari made the most of the improving track conditions. The Monegasque moved clear in the final 15 minutes, dipping under last year’s FP1 quickest time to finish ahead of Williams’ Alex Albon and Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda.

The session, shifted two hours earlier for 2025, began just after sunset on a cool and still-green 6.2km Strip Circuit. Drivers fought for grip on a surface used only once a year, with several early excursions — Pierre Gasly ran wide at Turn 5, while Gabriel Bortoleto overshot Turn 14 — highlighting the challenge of the low-downforce setups required for Las Vegas’ long straights.

Max Verstappen led much of the early-medium-tyre running with a 1m35.109s, narrowly quicker than Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton before the soft-tyre phase began. Hamilton initially jumped to P1 with a 1m35.561s before being displaced by Leclerc’s first flyer of 1m35.121s. After Verstappen improved by a fraction, Leclerc responded decisively on his second push lap, reclaiming top spot with the eventual session-best 1m34.802s.

Albon delivered one of Williams’ strongest FP1 showings of the season, producing a clean lap of 1m34.968s to finish only 0.166s behind Leclerc. Tsunoda followed with 1m35.071s, ahead of Verstappen’s 1m35.109s, marking a rare appearance of the Japanese driver ahead of his world-champion teammate. Carlos Sainz underlined Williams’ pace by finishing fifth on 1m35.179s.

McLaren endured a muted start to the weekend on a circuit expected to expose the MCL39’s weaknesses. Lando Norris logged a 1m35.258s lap for sixth after two off-track moments at Turn 12, while Oscar Piastri’s 1m35.450s left him eighth, one position behind RB’s Isack Hadjar, who continued his strong rookie season with a 1m35.299s run.

Mercedes also kept a low profile. George Russell produced a 1m35.534s lap for ninth, fractionally ahead of Andrea Kimi Antonelli on 1m35.538s. Hamilton finished 11th on 1m35.561s, with the Ferrari showing flashes of promise but not yet appearing fully switched on during single-lap running.

Further back, Alpine, Aston Martin, Haas, and Sauber completed the order, with the field covered by just under two seconds. Franco Colapinto rounded out the times after a 1m36.758s lap, as teams now look toward a cleaner, more representative FP2 in cooler conditions later on Friday night.