Leclerc tops Las Vegas practice as Ferrari leads the way in FP1. The session showed mixed grip and close margins.
Session snapshot
Charles Leclerc posted the fastest lap in the opening practice session. He ended FP1 on 1:34.802, clear of the chasing pack.
Track and conditions
The surface remained dusty and slippery at first. Drivers reported low initial grip and improving conditions later in the run.
Early leaders shuffled
Isack Hadjar and Carlos Sainz both led early on. Times fell steadily as the track rubbered in and lines became cleaner.
Red Bull runs and incidents
Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda showed strong pace on soft tyres. Verstappen briefly led before Leclerc reclaimed top spot.
Standout performers
Williams’ Alex Albon surprised with a late lap that secured P2. Yuki Tsunoda completed a strong showing for Red Bull in third.
McLaren and Mercedes checks
Lando Norris dealt with a messy soft-tyre run and finished sixth. George Russell placed ninth after a steady afternoon for Mercedes.
Power, engine specs and performance
Ferrari’s power unit delivered strong mid-range torque on the Las Vegas straights. Red Bull’s RBPT engines supplied excellent top-end speed. Williams’ Mercedes package combined tractable torque and efficient performance.
Lap time progression
Teams moved from medium and hard tyres to softs by the session midpoint. That switch produced the fastest times late in FP1.
Session takeaway
Leclerc set the benchmark and improved on his final soft-tyre lap. The top ten were separated by fractions of a second, indicating a close weekend.
Looking ahead
Teams will refine balance and tyre usage before qualifying. Track evolution and tyre strategy should shape the final grid order.
Full FP1 result
The table below shows the complete FP1 classification from Las Vegas.
| Pos | Driver | Car |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari |
| 2 | Alexander Albon | Williams |
| 3 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull |
| 4 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull |
| 5 | Carlos Sainz | Williams |
| 6 | Lando Norris | McLaren |
| 7 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls |
| 8 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren |
| 9 | George Russell | Mercedes |
| 10 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes |
| 11 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari |
| 12 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine |
| 13 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls |
| 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin |
| 15 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin |
| 16 | Oliver Bearman | Haas |
| 17 | Esteban Ocon | Haas |
| 18 | Nico Hülkenberg | Sauber |
| 19 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Sauber |
| 20 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine |
Final summary
Charles Leclerc finished fastest in FP1 on a track that improved through the session. Times tightened late as teams switched to soft tyres.
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Source: FIA