The las Vegas Grand Prix encountered familiar issues Thursday as a loose manhole cover once again disrupted on-track activity, halting the second practise session with just 39 minutes completed. The incident mirrors a costly issue during the event’s debut in 2023, when Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari sustained damage, and raises concerns about infrastructure preparedness for the Formula 1 race. Beyond the track disruption, teams also navigated challenges with car performance and setup, including Alpine driver Franco Colapinto who continued to grapple with chassis adjustments following a recent crash.
Las Vegas déjà vu struck Formula 1 on Thursday as a loose manhole cover brought a halt to the second practice session for the second consecutive year at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The incident, mirroring a disruption during the track’s debut in 2023, forced a suspension of the session with just 39 minutes of running completed.
Last year, Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari sustained damage after hitting a similar improperly secured cover, resulting in a penalty for the Spanish driver. The disruption adds another layer of complexity to the weekend for teams as they prepare for Saturday’s race, a key event in the championship battle.
Alpine driver Franco Colapinto also faced familiar challenges, struggling with the performance of his car following a chassis change after a crash in the São Paulo Grand Prix sprint race less than two weeks ago. After finishing last in the first practice session, the Argentinian improved to 16th, but reported a lack of significant progress with the A525.
The second practice session was significantly hampered by the two red flags, reducing the scheduled 60-minute run to just 39 minutes and leaving teams with incomplete testing programs. The first interruption came after concerns were raised about a loose manhole cover near Turn 17, the final corner of the circuit. While initially cleared, the issue resurfaced shortly after, leading to a second, definitive suspension.
Despite the limited running, Lando Norris of McLaren topped the timesheets with a lap of 1m33s602/1000. The session also saw surprising performances from Nico Hülkenberg, who secured fourth place for Sauber, Max Verstappen in ninth for Red Bull, and Oscar Piastri in 14th for McLaren.
Pierre Gasly, Colapinto’s teammate, showed promising pace early on, briefly placing within the top three, but ultimately finished 12th. He was significantly faster than Colapinto, finishing 771/1000 of a second behind Norris and 451/1000 quicker than the Argentinian driver, who clocked a time of 1m34s824/1000.
The first day of the Las Vegas Grand Prix concluded with these times. Friday’s schedule includes the third and final practice session at 9:30 PM local time, followed by qualifying at 1:00 AM Saturday, both times in Buenos Aires. The race itself will be held on Saturday night local time, corresponding to the early hours of Sunday morning in Argentina, and will be broadcast on Fox Sports and Disney+.
Colapinto remains dissatisfied with the replacement chassis following his crash in the São Paulo sprint race. “It’s the biggest difference,” he said. “We’ve gone back to how things were earlier in the season, which was more difficult for me. It’s hard to pinpoint, but I definitely feel a difference compared to the last few races, and that could be it. Unfortunately, because of the crash in Brazil, we had to change it and couldn’t repair it for this race. So we need to work and understand why. Hopefully, the other chassis will be back for the next races.”
After the practice session, Colapinto elaborated on his performance. “I wasn’t able to complete a lap on the soft tires all day. That’s the negative – I feel quite uncomfortable with the soft tires. The medium tires are better. Still, I’m having the same problems as in FP1: the car had very little grip in the rear and was undriveable. It was quite complicated, and even worse with the soft tires. It improved in FP2, but we’re still having the same issues, just a little less. We were finding a little bit of the way forward. There’s work to do tonight. The gap is a little smaller, which is good, but we’re still far off. I think the problems are similar to those I had in Brazil, and we’re not managing to solve them yet; we need to work and understand why.”
Lando Norris set the fastest time in the second practice session, recording a 1m33s602/1000 with McLaren, besting Charles Leclerc’s (Ferrari) first practice time of 1m34s802/1000 by 1.204 seconds. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) was close behind, followed by Leclerc, Nico Hülkenberg (Sauber), Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls), Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls), George Russell (Mercedes), Alexander Albon (Williams), and Max Verstappen (Red Bull).
With 21 minutes lost due to the red flags, the final classification remains somewhat unreliable. Colapinto improved four positions from the initial session, moving up to 16th, 1.222 seconds off Norris’s pace. Gasly moved up to 12th, 771/1000 behind the McLaren driver.
A second red flag was displayed in the second practice session, ultimately ending the session. The organization cited “track maintenance” as the reason.
Charles Leclerc experienced an early mechanical issue, with a gearbox problem bringing his session to a premature end. The Monegasque driver inquired over the radio if he could change gears, but was told it was not possible.
Following inspection of the manhole cover, which was ultimately deemed secure, the second practice session resumed. Only six minutes of running remained, with all 20 cars taking to the track to maximize the limited time.
The initial suspension was triggered by a track marshal’s concern about the manhole cover near Turn 17. Officials were unable to verify the situation using television replays and dispatched two organization vehicles to investigate.
The incident echoes a similar issue during the track’s inaugural event in 2023, when Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari was damaged by a loose cover. The Spaniard was penalized as a result, despite the problem originating from an organizational defect. The Las Vegas Grand Prix is organized by Liberty Media, the Formula 1 promoter.
The practice session was halted with no cars involved in an accident, and the organization did not immediately clarify the reason for the stoppage, leaving teams and fans uncertain.
Charles Leclerc narrowly avoided a crash in a tight left-hand corner, running wide but managing to stop just centimeters from the wall. His car remained undamaged.
Despite the cold track conditions and a brief shower, the second practice session saw improvements in lap times compared to the first. Charles Leclerc set the pace with a 1m34s763/1000, followed closely by Alexander Albon (Williams), Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull), and others. Colapinto finished 20th, 1.956 seconds off the pace.
The Las Vegas Grand Prix will continue with the third practice session on Saturday at 1:00 AM Buenos Aires time, followed by qualifying. The race is scheduled for Saturday night local time, which translates to the early hours of Sunday morning in Argentina.
After 11 minutes of the session, Franco Colapinto recorded the fastest time among the ten drivers who had set a lap: 1m37s779/1000. While significantly slower than Leclerc’s first session time, it was expected given the track conditions.
Pierre Gasly was the first driver to venture out on track, followed shortly by his teammate, Franco Colapinto, and eight other competitors.
Five minutes into the session, no cars had left the garages, with all teams waiting for the track to be cleared.
Wearing a helmet reminiscent of Carlos Reutemann’s design, Franco Colapinto waited in the Alpine number 43 for the signal to start his lap.
The second practice session for the Las Vegas Grand Prix is underway. A light rain fell shortly before the session began, leaving the track cold and slippery.
The track, located on the streets of Las Vegas, became more treacherous in the second practice session: it was raining in the Nevada desert. The asphalt is already very abrasive (“it feels like a parking lot,” Colapinto said before the Grand Prix), and the water now makes it even more slippery. It remains to be seen what decisions the teams will make and how the drivers will adapt.
On a cold and “rough” track, drivers had little grip and many ran wide in a couple of corners, particularly at Turn 12. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) set the fastest lap: 1m34s802/1000. He was closely followed by Alexander Albon (Williams) and Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull). Franco Colapinto (Alpine) finished last, 1.956 seconds behind.
