Las Vegas – EL1: Mercedes and Hamilton impress from the start

This time, the manhole covers did not play spoilsport, the promoter having had the good idea to weld some of them and cover others with bitumen. On an extremely dusty track that pushed several drivers (and not the least) to a few straights at turn 14, Lewis Hamilton et Mercedes got their weekend in Las Vegas off to a perfect start by setting the fastest time in the first free practice session.

On a track 5°C cooler than last year and with only 14°C in the air, the circuit offered its share of challenges for the teams on this Thursday evening local time. And as is often the case when temperatures are cool, it is the brand with the star that smiles! Both on the medium rubber during the first half hour and on the soft tyres in the second part of the session, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were the fastest, edging the competition by a second!

The younger of the two Englishmen was in fact beaten by the seven-time world champion (+0 »396). The British were particularly in the mood for celebration since it was Lando Norris who finished in 3rd place, getting back on track perfectly after a complicated weekend in Brazil. Ferrari, who are expected to attend the party in Las Vegas, were ultimately quite discreet, while Carlos Sainz was testing a hybrid chassis with a view to 2025. The Italian single-seaters are one second behind the best time set by Hamilton.

Sandwiched between the two Ferraris, Max Verstappen is not at its best either and has been very upset about connection problems with his steering wheel, which seems to have had a tendency to disconnect. Fernando Alonso signed a very encouraging 7th time with Aston Martin, in front of a McLaren and Red Bull.

Also note the presence of Pierre Gasly in the top 10. Reinvigorated by the double podium won by Alpine In Brazil, the Norman seems not to have come down from his cloud and had a very good first session. His teammate Esteban Ocon is further back in 14th position. The poor grip conditions are probably responsible for the fairly large gaps since the two Racing Bulls closing the ranking are more than 3" behind. See you at 5am for the second free practice session.

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