Ferrari FP2 report: Carlos Sainz P4, Charles Leclerc P5 as team assesses tyre degradation | 2024 Las Vegas GP. Results and report from Las Vegas FP2.

At the Las Vegas Street Circuit, it is time to take to the track for the second free practice session, following the FP1 held during the European night, which ended with a Mercedes 1-2. The first ten minutes of the session were packed with activity as the drivers, using medium tires, aimed for their best performance. Charles Leclerc set a time of 1:34.476, temporarily taking the lead, followed by George Russell and Carlos Sainz. While Ferrari and Mercedes appeared in great form, it was a difficult night for Red Bull.

During FP1, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez were already struggling, with the Dutch driver complaining about a lack of grip in both sessions, which was evident through several off-track moments. Half an hour from the end, the drivers switched to soft tires, and Russell took the top spot, followed by Carlos Sainz and Hamilton. Charles Leclerc, who did not have a good lap, was in fourth.

Regarding McLaren, they were initially in the third row behind Mercedes and Ferrari. However, with soft tires, Norris managed to set better times, including one that briefly put him in first place, a position later taken by Lewis Hamilton with a 1:33.825. Subsequently, the session was interrupted by a red flag caused by Alex Albon, who stopped in the first sector due to fuel system issues with his Williams car.

After the green flag, the drivers returned to the track to focus on race pace. Oscar Piastri impressed, being significantly faster on medium tires with a time around 1:37.200, though the fuel load he was carrying is unknown. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were around 1:38.1/2, taking a very cautious approach with the tire compound. Carlos Sainz was able to match Oscar Piastri’s pace, showing a strong race pace. George Russell and Lewis Hamilton were close to Ferrari’s times. Max Verstappen didn’t complete a consistent long run due to traffic, but he also showed evident struggles. The work at the Dutch team was very different compared to their competitors: among the top teams, they were the only ones not to use soft tires, likely trying to resolve issues with the car.

Here are the full results from practice at the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix:

Practice 2