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Charles Leclerc laid down an early marker in the opening practice session of the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix, mastering the dusty and cold conditions to top the timesheets. In a session that threw up several surprises, the Ferrari driver edged out Williams' Alex Albon by 0.166s, while Yuki Tsunoda stunned the paddock by going third fastest in his first outing as a Red Bull Racing driver, eclipsing teammate Max Verstappen.
Ferrari entered the weekend confident that the low-grip, low-temperature conditions would suit their package, and Leclerc delivered immediately with a 1:34.802 on the soft compound. But the real shock was the pace of Williams. Alex Albon looked comfortable from the outset, splitting the Ferraris and Red Bulls to take P2. His new teammate, Carlos Sainz, backed up the Grove team's form with a solid P5, suggesting the FW47 is punching well above its weight on the high-speed Strip circuit.
All eyes were on the Red Bull garage as Yuki Tsunoda stepped up to partner Max Verstappen. The Japanese driver wasted no time making an impression, clocking a 1:35.071 to finish P3, nearly four-tenths ahead of Verstappen in P4. While the reigning champion focused on longer runs and setup work, Tsunoda's aggressive qualifying simulations signaled he intends to take the fight to his teammate immediately.
It was a difficult start to the weekend for championship contenders McLaren. Both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri struggled to generate tyre temperature on the slippery surface. Norris' session was compromised early when he clipped the wall at Turn 9, forcing him back to the pits for a floor inspection. He returned to finish P6, but complained of instability under braking. Piastri ended the session in P8, with the team admitting the car looks "unsettled" on the cold track.
Lewis Hamilton, making his Las Vegas debut in Ferrari scarlet, finished P11, focusing on learning the car's behavior on the unique street layout rather than chasing lap times. At Mercedes, rookie Kimi Antonelli finished P10, just 0.004s adrift of teammate George Russell in P9. The Silver Arrows appeared to be running conservative engine modes, keeping their true pace hidden for now.
The session ran relatively smoothly despite the low grip, with no red flags interrupting the running. However, the stewards were busy post-session. Gabriel Bortoleto, making his debut for Sauber, finished P19 and is under investigation for a yellow flag infringement. Several drivers, including Pierre Gasly and Fernando Alonso, were noted for running wide at Turn 12 as they explored the limits of the dusty surface.
Charles Leclerc -- Ferrari -- 1:34.802
Alex Albon -- Williams -- +0.166
Yuki Tsunoda -- Red Bull Racing -- +0.269
Max Verstappen -- Red Bull Racing -- +0.307
Carlos Sainz -- Williams -- +0.377
Lando Norris -- McLaren -- +0.456
Isack Hadjar -- Racing Bulls -- +0.497
Oscar Piastri -- McLaren -- +0.648
George Russell -- Mercedes -- +0.732
Kimi Antonelli -- Mercedes -- +0.736
The unique conditions of Las Vegas---cold air, cold track, and low downforce---have scrambled the competitive order. Williams and Ferrari seem to have unlocked the secret to tyre warmup, while McLaren and Mercedes are on the back foot. With track evolution set to be massive and temperatures dropping further tonight, the setup window remains elusive.
If Williams can maintain this pace, they could play a decisive role in the constructor standings. meanwhile, McLaren needs to find answers quickly if Norris is to challenge Leclerc and the Red Bulls for pole position.
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.
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