Formula 1 championship leader, Max Verstappen, faced a tough start at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, finishing a disappointing 17th during the first day of practice.
Despite his dominant season, Verstappen struggled to find his rhythm, with his Red Bull car significantly off the pace—two seconds slower than the session leader. Notably, he didn’t complete a run on the fastest soft tires, a factor he attributed to Red Bull’s subpar day.
Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes showcased impressive form, dominating both practice sessions. He first led his teammate George Russell and later outpaced McLaren’s Lando Norris, who secured the second-fastest time of the day. Norris, still mathematically in contention for the championship, capitalized on the challenging conditions to keep his hopes alive.
For Verstappen, this weekend presents a straightforward path to securing his fourth drivers’ title. To clinch it, he simply needs to ensure he doesn’t lose more than two points to Norris in the race, set for early Sunday morning GMT.
Reflecting on his struggles, Verstappen admitted Red Bull lacked success during practice but remained optimistic about recovering as the weekend progresses.
Hamilton’s resurgence and Norris’ pace set the stage for an exciting showdown under the dazzling Las Vegas lights.
