Lando Norris set the fastest time in FP2 at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, despite two late red flags caused by a suspected loose drain cover at Turn 17. Light rain before the session left the track damp, and drivers waited five minutes before venturing out. Grip levels improved slowly as the field worked towards better pace.
Oscar Piastri became the first driver to beat Charles Leclerc’s FP1 benchmark during the initial medium-tyre phase. As the track gained more rubber, Leclerc responded with a strong 1m33.763s, which was one second faster than his earlier lap.
Soft-Tyre Battle Before First Red Flag
Andrea Kimi Antonelli briefly moved into first place with his early soft-tyre run. Lando Norris then produced a quicker lap and went 0.03s ahead. Their exchange ended abruptly when marshals reported a possible loose drain cover at Turn 17, triggering the first red flag with 21 minutes remaining.
Officials inspected the area and paused the session for 15 minutes. Once cleared, FP2 restarted with just six minutes left. Drivers rushed back on track using both soft and medium tyres to salvage lap time.
Leclerc Retires Early as Second Red Flag Ends FP2
Charles Leclerc’s push ended immediately. He stopped at Turn 5 with a gearbox problem and received the instruction “not to use his gear shift.” He parked beside the barrier, ending his session early. His retirement did not change the competitive order, as the session faced another stoppage moments later. Concerns over the same Turn 17 drain cover forced race control to end FP2 under a second red flag.
Norris’ soft-tyre lap remained unbeaten. Antonelli held second place, while Leclerc’s earlier medium-tyre effort secured third. Nico Hulkenberg finished fourth, followed by Isack Hadjar. The Racing Bulls rookie stayed just 0.008s ahead of team-mate Liam Lawson.
George Russell secured seventh place, with Alex Albon, Max Verstappen, and Lewis Hamilton rounding out the top 10. Oscar Piastri managed only 14th after failing to improve during his first soft-tyre attempt.
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