Lando Norris set the pace during the second practice session in Las Vegas, which had to be halted for 19 minutes due to a loose manhole cover issue. Norris, who currently leads the championship by 24 points ahead of the final three rounds, edged out Kimi Antonelli from Mercedes by a mere 0.029 seconds on the city’s Strip. Max Verstappen, trailing by 49 points in the title chase, finished in ninth place, while Norris’ McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri came in 14th.
The practice session faced two red flag interruptions following reports of a dislodged drain cover at the 17th and final corner. This brought back memories of a similar incident two years ago when a manhole cover came loose and damaged Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari at high speed. The session was initially stopped at 8.38 pm local time as a precautionary measure after a possible loose manhole cover was reported near Turn 17.
After a 16-minute delay, the session resumed briefly before another red flag was raised just three minutes later when it was observed that the manhole cover was shifting as cars passed over it. Further inspections were conducted to ensure safety measures. The race in Las Vegas, organized by F1’s American owners Liberty Media, is the only event on the calendar promoted by them. Despite the interruptions, many top drivers struggled to post competitive lap times due to the disrupted schedule and track conditions.
The season’s climax is nearing in Las Vegas with races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi to follow. McLaren has been dominant this year, but the street circuit in Las Vegas has not been favorable to their performance in recent races. Despite a modest performance in the opening runs of the weekend, Norris showed promise in the disrupted final session, aiming to secure his first world championship.