2025 Las Vegas GP race pace analysis: how fast was the SF-25 really?. Dive into the full race pace stats, team breakdowns and key insights from the Strip showdown.

The 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix delivered one of the most intriguing pace profiles of the season so far. A mix of tyre strategies, heavy fuel management and an extreme late-race lift-and-coast phase created sizable pace fluctuations across the field.
Below is a complete breakdown of the race, including a special focus on Ferrari’s performance and their relative standing against top rivals.

Global Race Pace Summary

The following table summarizes the smoothed mean lap times extracted from the race pace data.

Mean Lap Time by Driver

Team Pace Ranking

Using the fastest driver from each team, here is the ranking of average pace across the race.

Key Insights & Analysis

1. Dominant Leader Pace

The race leader’s pace advantage was substantial—around four-tenths per lap over the nearest McLaren challenger.
Even after accounting for the rival’s slow laps due to heavy fuel-saving, the front-runner still maintained a clear edge,
reinforcing championship momentum.

2. Ferrari’s Performance: Competitive but With Room to Grow

Ferrari placed third-fastest overall in team pace, only +0.47s/lap behind the benchmark.
This positions them clearly within the lead battle on raw speed.

Individually, Charles Leclerc delivered a mean lap time of 95.68s (+0.47s), placing him only a fraction behind the McLarens.
Notably, he maintained slightly better long-run consistency than several direct rivals—even those who attempted aggressive tyre-saving strategies.

Lewis Hamilton clocked a mean lap time of 96.14s (+0.93s).
While slightly off Leclerc’s pace, the number suggests his performance was strongly influenced by tyre choices and stint structure.
The overall Ferrari data points toward a car that is solid in race trim but still lacking a bit of peak pace compared to Red Bull and McLaren.

3. Alternative Strategies Shaped the Midfield

Several drivers employed unusual strategies, including a nearly full-race stint on a single tyre compound (96% of the distance).
This significantly influenced the mid-field gaps and explains why certain drivers appear slightly slower in the ranking despite consistent execution.

4. Extreme Lift-and-Coast Late in the Race

One of the defining features of the Las Vegas race was the dramatic fuel saving in the closing laps.
The pace graph shows a steep rise in lap time for multiple drivers nearing the final corners of the race—highlighting just how close many teams were to the fuel limit.
This also artificially inflated some of the mean lap time deltas.

5. Midfield & Backmarker Spread

A sharp pace drop-off formed after Mercedes and Williams.
From RB onward, the pace deficit exceeded eight-tenths per lap, with Aston Martin and Alpine nearly two seconds off the lead pace.
This substantial spread emphasizes how punishing the Las Vegas layout becomes when cars struggle with drag and straight-line efficiency.

Conclusion

The 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix produced a fascinating blend of raw performance and endurance management.
Ferrari’s result places them comfortably in the competitive top three on long-run pace, with Charles Leclerc closely matching the McLarens and Lewis Hamilton’s pace shaped by strategy considerations.

If Ferrari can extract more qualifying performance and refine tyre usage, they appear well-positioned to challenge for stronger results in upcoming races.

As the 2025 season hurtles toward its Qatar climax, this Vegas data confirms Max Verstappen’s momentum while giving Ferrari a morale boost in the Constructors’ hunt. Will the SF-25’s third-place pace translate to Lusail’s high-speed demands? Stay tuned – the fight is far from over.