Charles Leclerc dominated the opening practice session of the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix, setting the pace with a stunning 1:34.802 lap time. The Ferrari driver outperformed his rivals, including Alex Albon and Yuki Tsunoda, by a significant margin of 0.166 seconds. This performance highlights Leclerc's early advantage in the championship race, as his competitors, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, struggled to match his speed. The session was held on the high-speed, low-downforce circuit within the Las Vegas Strip, presenting a unique challenge with cold temperatures and a dirty but dry track surface.
The session began with small slides from Lewis Hamilton and Ollie Bearman, followed by more notable moments from Norris and Pierre Gasly, who briefly ventured into the run-off areas at Turns 7 and 12. However, it was Leclerc and Max Verstappen who quickly set the tone as the pacesetters. Leclerc, in particular, showcased his prowess by becoming the first driver to break the 1:36 barrier, achieving a 1:35.954 lap time on the medium Pirelli tire after 20 minutes. Verstappen soon followed, lowering the benchmark by less than two-tenths.
As the session progressed, teams shifted their focus to the soft compound tires for the second phase. Hamilton was the first among the leading runners to use the red-walled tires, posting a 1:35.561 lap time, which was quickly surpassed by Leclerc. The drivers continued to push the limits, with Piastri and Fernando Alonso running wide at Turns 7 and 12, emphasizing the premium track position. The battle for supremacy between Verstappen and Leclerc intensified, with Verstappen claiming the fastest time of 1:35.109, just 0.004 seconds ahead of Leclerc's latest effort.
Tsunoda briefly took the lead with 15 minutes remaining, but Leclerc reclaimed the top spot with a 1:34.802 lap time, the first sub-1:35 lap time of the session. Albon, who experienced a significant lock-up at the end of the session into Turn 12's heavy braking zone, finished second. Tsunoda, with a time less than one-tenth of a second behind Leclerc, headed the Williams of Carlos Sainz, who finished ahead of the McLarens of Norris and Piastri. Isack Hadjar's Racing Bulls split the title rivals.
George Russell, the previous year's winner in Las Vegas, secured ninth place, ahead of his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli. Hamilton, in 11th place, was seven-tenths behind Leclerc. Alpine's Gasly led the Racing Bulls of Liam Lawson and the Aston Martins of Alonso and Lance Stroll. The session concluded with the Haas of Bearman and Esteban Ocon, the Kick Sauber of Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto, and Franco Colapinto (Alpine) completing the order.
The drivers and teams will resume their practice later today with the more representative Free Practice 2 session, building upon the insights gained from this initial practice session.
