#F1 #LasVegasGP #FP2: @LandoNorris tops red flag-affected session.

Norris Las Vegas FP2 – Championship leader Lando Norris topped the session practice session at the Las Vegas GP for McLaren, which ended under a red flag due to track maintenance, Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc completed the top three with the latter suffering a gearbox failure at the end.

Norris set the time-sopping benchmark of a 1:33.603 on the red side-walled softer compounds and was a very slim 0.029 seconds clear of Antonelli as Leclerc completed the top three and 0.161 seconds adrift of the McLaren driver.

When the second hour-long session began, following a five-minute lull of no activity – Alpine’s Pierre Gasly led the field out on the C4 yellow-marked medium compounds.

The Frenchman was the first to register the benchmark of a 1:50.199 as his team-mate Colapinto took P1 with a 1:47.937, which was then ousted by RB’s Liam Lawson’s 1:46.854 effort.

Ferrari’s Sir Lewis Hamilton with three personal bests went fastest on a 1:46l.171 as Gasly reclaimed P1 setting a 1:39.093, which was short-lived as Colapinto went quickest on a 1:37.779.

Hamilton then returned to the top posting a 1:37.484 then Russell pipped his former team-mate setting 1:36.145.

Williams’ Alexander Albon slotted into second briefly, but was relegated by Lawson, Haas’s Oliver Bearman and RB’s Isack Hadjar.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen Verstappen then pushed to P1 with a 1:36.029 to end up 0.116 clear of Russell as Leclerc slotted his Ferrari to third overall and to be 0.363 seconds off the Dutchman.

Gasly then jumped up to third, but momentarily as Mercedes’ Antonelli went quickest with a 1:35.738 to be 0.291 seconds in-front of Verstappen.

Hamilton despite having Hulkenberg impeding the seven-time world champion went to the head of the time-sheets with a 1:35.338.

Russell then reclaimed top spot setting a 1:35.066 to go 0.272 ahead of Hamilton at the 16^th minute mark of proceedings.

Albon went up to third with three personal bests to be 0.363 off Russell’s benchmark as Leclerc pushed his SF-25 entry to second to wound up 0.223 off Russell’s best time.

The yellow flags were briefly out as replays showed Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto ran off into the turn 12 run-off areas.

Gasly with a purple middle sector jumped to second only briefly as Antonelli jumped to second behind Russell setting a 1:35.141 and to be a slim 0.075 seconds off his Mercedes team-mate.

Hamilton then jumped Russell with his 1:34.998, which was beaten by Piastri’s 1:34.740 and then was ousted by team-mate Norris’s 1:34.713 whilst Russell then snatched the top of the pile with a 1:34.430 to be 0.283 clear of championship leader Norris at the 20^th-minute mark.

Verstappen with three personal bests could only reach eighth in the order as Antonelli returned to second behind his team-mate setting a 1:34.495 to be a narrow 0.065 behind.

Hamilton with a purple sector three and two personal bests retook P1 with his 1:34.127, which was quickly beaten by Norris’s 1:33.943 after a brilliant middle sector effort.

Albon with two personal bests jumped back up to third in the classification posting a 1:34.404 whilst Norris then grabbed P1 with his 1:33.943 as Verstappen returned to second and ended up 0.162 seconds adrift of his rival championship contender.

Russell was next with a purple middle sector to take second posting a 1:34.037 to be 0.094 seconds adrift of Norris’s best time.

Replays showed Bearman suffer a big lock-up into turn 12 as the drivers continued to struggle in that corner.

Leclerc followed on his flyer to jump back into the P1 slot – setting a 1:33.763 to end up 0.180 seconds clear of Norris.

Norris was back on a flying tour, but the Briton ran too hot suffering a massive front-left lock-up into the turn 12 run-off area and managed to turn it around and continued on.

The majority of the field returned to their respective garages just before the midway point to adjust their setups and put in a low amount fuel with a set of the C5 softer rubber to begin their qualifying simulation stints.

Lawson was the first on the C5’s and with three personal bests moved up into second posting a 1:33.901 ending up 0.138 seconds off Leclerc as his team-mate Hadjar suffered a massive front-left lock-up into turn 12 – the Frenchman turned his VCARB02 racer and continued his running.

Replays showed with 28 minutes remaining as Leclerc compromised his run into turn nine and just avoided clipping the barriers with his front wing – the Monegasque driver managed to reverse and pushed on.

Hadjar with three personal bests jumped to second, demoting his team-mate with a 1:33.893 to be 0.130 seconds off Leclerc as replays showed Antonelli have a close call with the wall.

Albon was next on his hot-lap with the softs as the Williams driver went sixth overall posting a 1:34.067 as Antonelli jumped to P1 with a 1:33.631 but only briefly as Norris with two purples went fastest setting a 1:33.602 to be 0.029 seconds clear of the Italian.

Hulkenberg put his Sauber fourth on a 1:33.879 to end up 0.277 seconds adrift of Norris’s benchmark.

Russell was next in his F1 W16 Silver Arrow as the Briton lost his time as the red flags were waved with 21 minutes to go and stopped the Mercedes driver from registering his quick time in its tracks.

The red flags were for a potential loose drain cover between turns 16 and 17.

After a 14-minute delay, the drivers returned to the track with six remaining to run and Sauber’s Hulkenberg lead the pack out on a set of the mediums.

Leclerc reported a broken gearbox and pulled over into the turn five run-off area.

The red flag was brought out once again to end the session due to track maintenance for that loose drain cover and to check all manhole covers.

The session ended with Norris on-top with Antonelli second and Leclerc rounding out the top three despite a gearbox issue.

Hulkenberg was next in fourth and ahead of RB pairing of Hadjar and Lawson who were fifth and sixth respectively.

Russell followed in seventh and in-front of Albon who placed eighth.

Reigning world champion Verstappen and Hamilton completed the top ten.

You can see the full Formula 1 Heineken Las Vegas Grand Prix 2025 Free Practice 2 Results Classification at the link: https://www.formula1.com/en/results/2025/races/1274/las-vegas/practice/2