Russell Sets the Pace in Las Vegas as Verstappen Struggles
George Russell topped the time sheets in the final practice ahead of qualifying at the Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix, beating out McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz. Russell's lap of one minute, 33.570 seconds, was 0.215 clear of Piastri and 0.348 better than Sainz in a session that saw a late red flag.
Defending Las Vegas Grand Prix champion Max Verstappen, who can claim his fourth consecutive title for Red Bull on Saturday, struggled again with grip in slippery conditions in the race along the glamorous Las Vegas Strip. Verstappen's difficulties were evident early in the practice session, as he exclaimed, "I can't drive it. I'm going to crash."
However, after a switch to soft tires, Verstappen felt "miles better" and bounced back to finish the practice in fifth with a time of 1:34.137. Despite his improvement, Verstappen was still left looking up to fourth place finisher Lando Norris of McLaren, who clocked a lap of 1:34.008.
Lewis Hamilton, who swept the first two practice sessions on Thursday, was sharp again on Friday, leading the pack early before finishing sixth, 0.771 behind his Mercedes teammate Russell. Aston Martin's Lance Stroll stopped on the track in the waning moments of the session, leading to a late red flag.
Qualifying for Saturday's race will be held later on Friday, and it remains to be seen whether Verstappen can overcome his struggles and claim pole position. With Russell and Piastri setting the pace, the stage is set for an exciting qualifying session in Las Vegas.
Qualifying for Saturday's race will be held later on Friday, and it remains to be seen whether Verstappen can overcome his struggles and claim pole position. With Russell and Piastri setting the pace, the stage is set for an exciting qualifying session in Las Vegas
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