The first day of testing at the 6.2-kilometre Las Vegas Strip Circuit in Nevada delivers a verdict far from initial predictions. Taking the spotlight is Mercedes, buoyed by favorable weather conditions that compensate for the poor affinity between the W15 and the Nevada track. The two Ferrari SF24 cars struggle with the turns in the first sector, finishing behind a sharp McLaren with Lando Norris, though Oscar Piastri appears to be lagging, which is hopefully a good sign for the Maranello team considering the battle for the world Constructors’ Championship against McLaren. Red Bull seems distant in terms of single-lap performance, focusing instead on race pace, where the difference is made in the approach during the initial laps.
Friday practice in Las Vegas begins with the track in poor condition, so dirty that some drivers report feeling as if they are driving on a wet surface. The situation improves quickly, but the circuit continues evolving throughout the evening. Completing a lap even just a couple of minutes later than competitors can yield a couple of tenths on the clock, making the final time sheets of the day unreliable as an absolute measure.
Nonetheless, there is no denying the impression that, during the first two hours of action, Mercedes is the most comfortable car on the track. Lewis Hamilton finishes the day on top, but if George Russell had not encountered traffic at the end of his attempt, the session would likely have ended with a one-two for the Silver Arrows. The Brackley team often shines on Fridays only to fall short in th qualifying session, but this time things might be different.
The Las Vegas circuit, filled with low-speed corners, particularly challenges the rear axle, subjected to repeated traction phases. The Nevada track is among the most critical for Mercedes, which has often struggled with rear-end instability due to overheating rear tires, especially the softer compounds. However, the cold Las Vegas night helps, with the track temperature not exceeding 13°C on Friday, allowing the W15 to remain within the proper operating window. Mercedes hopes that, as seen in Montreal or Silverstone, the cold can push the Silver Arrows to the top.
Leading the chasing pack is a McLaren that currently appears to have two faces. Lando Norris is second in the standings, while Oscar Piastri can do no better than eighth, trailing his teammate by 4 and 2 tenths in the second and third sectors, respectively. It is hard to determine whether the team is testing two different setup approaches or if the Australian still needs to find the right rhythm with the MCL38.
Ferrari was the pre-event favorite but has yet to impress. Just as in 2023, the Maranello team starts with a slightly higher downforce level, using the rear wing from the Baku City circuit in Azerbaijan. Taking advantage of increasing grip, the Maranello team switches to the even lower-drag Monza wing during the second session. The 3 and 5 tenths of a second deficits for the two Ferrari drivers are partly due to setting their times slightly earlier than their competitors, on a less favorable track surface. However, the SF-24 still does not seem as sharp as expected, at least for now.
The mind immediately recalls the recent intervention by the Federation, which clarified permissible and illicit practices regarding floor protection from wear. On this topic, during the press conference, Frederic Vasseur, Toto Wolff and Oliver Oakes confirmed that Ferrari, Mercedes, and Alpine indeed had to make modifications to their respective cars. It is impossible to quantify the impact on lap times, but Ferrari’s current delay stems from other factors as well. Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, for instance, are losing 2 and 3 tenths respectively to George Russell in the first sector alone. Difficulty in bringing the tires up to temperature at the start of the lap is a possible explanation, but not the only one. The long, low-speed corners remain the main weakness of the SF-24 single-seater, making the first two turns in Las Vegas particularly challenging. If Ferrari could find better balance for the first part of the lap, pole position would be within reach.
Race simulations are heavily influenced by traffic on the track, making it difficult to establish an exact pecking order. Nonetheless, the critical importance of the approach during the opening laps is evident, particularly in the comparison between the two Ferrari drivers. Charles Leclerc starts his simulation with a more aggressive pace compared to his Maranello teammate, who instead manages to mitigate initial graining and maintain a more consistent rhythm. These are pre-agreed experiments with the team, crucial for fine-tuning strategies ahead of the Las Veags Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen and Red Bull appear lacking in single-lap performance, with the Dutchman once again complaining about the RB20’s lack of rotation on corner entry. However, on Friday in Las Vegas, the reigning champions focus primarily on the race, as evidenced by their extensive use of medium tires compared to softs. And it is worth pointing out that Max Verstappen was able to set a race pace on par with Oscar Piastri and Carlos Sainz, suggesting that Red Bull could still be competitive over the long run. George Russell, meanwhile, is slightly slower despite his excellent single-lap times. Lando Norris’s performance is difficult to judge due to traffic, while Lewis Hamilton conducts his simulation on soft tires, making comparisons with other drivers impossible.
Another piece of Friday news is the presence of an updated floor on the Ferrari. This is actually an experimental version, fitted to Carlos Sainz’s car for the first free practice session only, featuring modifications in specific areas to verify its correlation with design tools. Senior performance engineer Jock Clear explained ahead of the start of Friday’s track action that Ferrari had only one version of the updated floor, emphasizing that it did not provide any performance advantage but was merely a localized test. The British engineer also noted that the purpose was to assess the correlation with the wind tunnel, adding that while this had implications for 2025 development, taking into consideration the fact that the wind tunnel is a key tool for all design work—the update was essentially a correlation test.
Red Bull also introduced an updated floor, this one intended for use during the race. One might wonder if this was truly necessary, given the near-mathematical certainty of Max Verstappen’s drivers’ title. However, it is important to consider that developments are planned well in advance, almost certainly before the unexpected outcome in the Brazilian Grand Prix. Like Ferrari, Red Bull understands the importance of bringing aerodynamic updates to the track even at the end of the 2024 Formula 1 season, testing development directions and identifying potential side effects—extremely valuable insights for the 2025 F1 car that do not detract from the focus on the final Grands Prix of the season.
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