Lewis Hamilton continued Mercedes’ strong performance in FP2 for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, securing the fastest lap with a time of 1m 33.825s on soft tyres. The seven-time world champion edged out McLaren’s Lando Norris and his Mercedes teammate George Russell, with Max Verstappen, the championship leader, finishing only 17th after a quiet session.
Hamilton Sets the Pace, Norris and Russell Follow Closely
Hamilton’s performance came shortly before a red flag, caused by Alex Albon parking his Williams due to a fuel system issue. The Mercedes driver’s benchmark time left him just ahead of Norris, who was a few thousandths of a second behind, and Russell, who was a couple of tenths down. Despite the red flag, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc finished P4 and P5, while Pierre Gasly of Alpine secured P6, despite some traffic during his soft-tyre run.
Haas Drivers Shine, Tsunoda and Piastri in Top 10
Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg of Haas placed P7 and P9, respectively, putting both cars in the top half of the field. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri slotted in between them. Yuki Tsunoda made a notable improvement for Red Bull, climbing to P10 after struggling in FP1.
Bottas, Ocon, and Aston Martin Drivers in the Midfield
In P11, Valtteri Bottas of Kick Sauber and Esteban Ocon of Alpine in P12 were followed by Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin. Bottas will incur a five-place grid penalty due to an engine change, but this still placed him ahead of Stroll and Alonso.
Verstappen and Perez Struggle in FP2
The reigning world champion, Max Verstappen, and his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez struggled in FP2. Verstappen, reporting “no grip,” could only manage a single soft-tyre run before the red flag, leaving him in 17th. Perez was 19th, with Franco Colapinto and Alex Albon rounding out the bottom three positions.
As Hamilton and Mercedes continue to show strong form, teams will now analyze data and make any necessary adjustments ahead of FP3 and qualifying on Friday evening. With the Las Vegas GP rapidly approaching, the action is set to heat up.
