Las Vegas promised to be an atypical track capable of shaking things up, and the first day of practice on the U.S. circuit delivered plenty to discuss. As expected, the low grip levels and very low temperatures—reaching just 13°C on the asphalt during FP2—significantly impacted both pure lap performance and tire management over longer runs.
Tires will undoubtedly be the primary focus throughout the weekend. More than the cars’ technical characteristics, the key factor appears to be how teams exploit the tires and how much grip they can generate.
Alongside track evolution, teams pursued varying programs. Red Bull and Ferrari adjusted their setups to progressively reduce drag from FP1 to FP2, aligning with benchmarks from competitors. Meanwhile, McLaren diversified within the team: Lando Norris opted for a more loaded front wing, while Oscar Piastri chose a less loaded configuration with a trimmed upper flap for Las Vegas.
Mercedes shines on Friday, McLaren in the middle
Mercedes often excels on Fridays but struggles to maintain the edge as the weekend progresses, with competitors improving while the W15 stagnates. George Russell acknowledges this scenario could repeat tomorrow, particularly due to fuel loads and engine mappings, as Mercedes tends to push harder on Fridays. Nevertheless, both Russell and Lewis Hamilton expressed confidence.
Their W15 felt competitive and performed well under the day’s conditions, especially in slow sections such as the 7/8/9 sequence and the final chicane, where it was very sharp on corner entry. This strength in slow corners has been a season-long trend, as the W15 struggles more in flowing sequences.
The real difference lies in tire management. Throughout the season, the Brackley car has fared better in cooler conditions, losing grip more quickly in hotter climates. In Las Vegas, the drivers found the car tricky to handle due to low grip, but it was overall less nervous than other cars—a factor that has often penalized Russell and Hamilton this season.
However, Mercedes lacks top speed, falling behind other top teams except Red Bull, which loses six-tenths due to the absence of a true low-downforce package. On the Strip, Mercedes trails McLaren by about 3–4 km/h, comparable to Ferrari when neither Carlos Sainz nor Charles Leclerc benefits from slipstreams. The gap grows to 9 km/h before the braking zone of Turn 4 compared to the McLaren MCL38.
McLaren’s car, as confirmed by its drivers, is competitive in qualifying runs, excelling at bringing the tires into the right window and capitalizing on top speeds on straights. However, McLaren struggled in specific corners, such as Turn 1 and the 7/8/9 sequence, where Norris lacked the aggression seen from the Mercedes drivers. The team is more concerned about graining during long runs—a problem all teams faced due to low temperatures—but Norris was particularly shocked by the car’s pace with higher fuel loads.
Oscar Piastri’s long run was more convincing, though McLaren started their stint aggressively, unlike rivals who began with higher lap times to preserve the tires. This approach will likely be reviewed post-FP2 to address graining issues previously seen at tracks like Monza.
Ferrari works on soft tire performance
Ferrari continues to grapple with tire temperatures, a recurring challenge this season. The Las Vegas layout suits the SF-24 with its long straights and sharp corners that don’t overly stress the front tires. However, as anticipated, bringing the tires into the right window has been tricky.
This issue has plagued Ferrari in other races, particularly when trying to maximize soft tires for qualifying. Ferrari struggled more on the soft compound than on the medium, prompting the team to test different strategies, such as adding an extra lap after the outlap to warm the tires further—contrasting with McLaren and Mercedes.
The circuit’s low aerodynamic load in corners complicates extracting clean laps. Leclerc had to abort several laps, considering a new approach for using soft tires, while Sainz struggled to string together a perfect lap, losing time in Turns 1, 8, and 12 while working on brake release to improve cornering speed.
Turn 1 remains a critical focus for Ferrari, as it challenges the SF-24’s ability to maintain rotation mid-corner without losing rear traction on exit. Sainz attempted high entry speeds but couldn’t sustain the pace through subsequent sections, losing tenths to Mercedes and McLaren.
Overall, the SF-24 performs well on straights, aided by a lower-downforce wing setup in FP2 (though Sainz’s Strip reference benefited from a strong slipstream). However, Ferrari must improve grip to find rhythm in corners and braking zones, particularly with the soft tires. While the drivers feel more optimistic about race pace—despite graining and degradation issues shared with rivals—single-lap performance remains a greater limitation.
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