George Russell topped the final practice session in Las Vegas. Image: XPB Images
Rain before the start left the circuit damp for most of the hour, prompting drivers to mix wet and dry tyres as times tumbled late on. George Russell ultimately set the benchmark with a 1m34.054, topping Max Verstappen by 0.227s.
Verstappen looked set to finish quickest, appearing the most comfortable as the track dried. But a lock-up into Turn 14 on his final push lap while approaching slower cars cost him time, leading him to fume over the radio and label those ahead as “idiots”.
Alex Albon headed Isack Hadjar for third and fourth, while Lewis Hamilton finally logged a clean lap after complaining of missed chances in FP1 and FP2, going fifth fastest after surviving a close call with Liam Lawson.
The Ferrari driver was pushing hard on inters during the middle phase when he too closed rapidly on slower traffic into Turn 14. He only narrowly avoided a major collision with Lawson’s Racing Bull, straight-lining into the runoff to escape contact.
Despite the scare, Lawson showed strong form, finishing seventh behind the second Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli. The Kiwi briefly topped the timesheets with four minutes to go before being shuffled back as grip improved.
A glance at the results could mislead, with McLaren at the bottom — Oscar Piastri 19th and Lando Norris 20th. However, a late sensor issue on both cars prevented them from completing fast laps when the track was at its quickest, allowing all 18 rivals to eclipse them.
For most of the session, both Norris and Piastri were near the front, with Norris the first to gamble on slicks after around 40 minutes. A threat of further rain encouraged McLaren to make the switch early, soon prompting the rest of the field to follow.
Piastri also showed encouraging pace, beating his teammate for the first time this weekend and appearing to have more time in hand before his own sensor issue halted his final push lap.
Aston Martin enjoyed its strongest outing of the weekend, with Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso placing eighth and ninth, while Pierre Gasly continued his strong Vegas form by rounding out the top 10.
The slippery, cold conditions again proved treacherous, with several drivers running off track. Gabriel Bortoleto showed promise late before a series of lock-ups halted progress, while Hamilton, Albon and Verstappen also overshot corners as they searched for grip.
With each practice session topped by a different team and no clear read on the circuit across a mixed weekend, qualifying looks set to be another gamble for teams — and an entertaining one for fans.
Qualifying begins at 8pm local time (3pm AEDT).
Pos.
No.
Driver
Team
Time / Gap
Laps
1
63
George Russell
Mercedes
1:34.054
21
2
1
Max Verstappen
Red Bull Racing
+0.227s
27
3
23
Alexander Albon
Williams
+0.821s
20
4
6
Isack Hadjar
Racing Bulls
+1.115s
25
5
44
Lewis Hamilton
Ferrari
+1.215s
28
6
12
Kimi Antonelli
Mercedes
+1.331s
22
7
30
Liam Lawson
Racing Bulls
+1.385s
24
8
18
Lance Stroll
Aston Martin
+1.479s
11
9
14
Fernando Alonso
Aston Martin
+1.486s
12
10
10
Pierre Gasly
Alpine
+1.508s
12
11
87
Oliver Bearman
Haas F1 Team
+1.532s
17
12
55
Carlos Sainz
Williams
+1.608s
21
13
5
Gabriel Bortoleto
Kick Sauber
+1.684s
15
14
31
Esteban Ocon
Haas F1 Team
+1.763s
23
15
16
Charles Leclerc
Ferrari
+1.854s
26
16
43
Franco Colapinto
Alpine
+2.251s
16
17
27
Nico Hulkenberg
Kick Sauber
+2.596s
10
18
22
Yuki Tsunoda
Red Bull Racing
+2.613s
23
19
81
Oscar Piastri
McLaren
+2.969s
20
20
4
Lando Norris
McLaren
+3.058s
18
