Mercedes’ George Russell Masters Shifting Conditions to Lead Final Las Vegas GP Practice, McLaren Hit by Technical Glitches

George Russell of Mercedes demonstrated impressive adaptability and pace, topping a challenging wet-to-dry third and final practice session for the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix. His late surge saw him narrowly edge out reigning world champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull, while the McLaren camp experienced significant setbacks with both Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris encountering technical issues, leaving them at the bottom of the timesheets with critical dry-weather running missed.

The session, which commenced under damp skies following a patch of morning showers, marked the first time the newly inaugurated Las Vegas Strip Circuit experienced anything other than dry conditions. This unexpected variable introduced an intriguing dynamic to the crucial FP3, typically the last opportunity for teams to fine-tune their setups ahead of qualifying. However, with rain not anticipated for the remainder of the weekend’s competitive sessions, the mixed conditions ultimately provided limited truly reliable data for teams to carry forward. The evolving track surface, transitioning from intermediate-friendly dampness to a slick-tire optimal dry line, meant lap times tumbled dramatically throughout the hour, culminating in a frantic dash for performance in the final minutes.

Russell’s decisive 1m34.054s lap, laid down as the 6.2km street circuit approached its driest state, underscored Mercedes’ potential in variable conditions. This performance offers a glimmer of optimism for the Brackley-based squad, who have endured a season of fluctuating form, often finding themselves battling Ferrari and McLaren for the best-of-the-rest position behind the dominant Red Bulls. While Mercedes has largely struggled to consistently match the outright pace of their rivals, particularly on high-speed circuits, Russell’s ability to extract maximum performance in these tricky circumstances highlights the team’s capacity for strategic execution and the driver’s inherent skill. The team will be keen to translate this practice form into a strong qualifying showing, as they continue their intense battle for second place in the Constructors’ Championship standings, a tight contest that has defined much of their latter-half season.

Close behind Russell was Max Verstappen, whose best effort was only marginally slower. The three-time world champion appeared poised to claim the top spot himself before an uncharacteristic wide moment on his final flying lap prevented further improvement. Red Bull Racing, having already secured both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships in a historically dominant season, approached the session with their characteristic focus on optimization, despite the external conditions. While Verstappen’s second place in FP3 doesn’t necessarily dictate Red Bull’s ultimate pace on a fully dry track, his consistent presence at the sharp end, even when not pushing to the absolute limit, serves as a stark reminder of the car’s inherent strength and his unparalleled ability to adapt. The team’s engineers will undoubtedly scrutinize the data to ensure they are fully prepared for the dry conditions expected for qualifying, where Red Bull has historically excelled.

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The most concerning narrative from the session, however, revolved around McLaren. Both Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris found themselves at the very bottom of the timing sheets, a stark contrast to their recent resurgence and strong form. Their predicament was rooted in a frustrating lack of track time during the critical final phase when the circuit was at its fastest. Piastri’s MCL39 suffered a complete loss of telemetry, forcing him to pit prematurely and robbing him of valuable dry running. Telemetry is a vital stream of real-time data that allows engineers to monitor every aspect of the car’s performance and diagnose issues, making its loss a significant hindrance to setup optimization. Shortly after, teammate Lando Norris appeared to be afflicted by a suspected electrical issue, which also led to a loss of telemetry and subsequently forced him back into the garage. This double blow for McLaren is particularly ill-timed, as the Woking-based outfit has been a formidable force in the latter half of the season, consistently challenging Red Bull and Ferrari for podium finishes. Missing crucial laps to fine-tune the car for the unique demands of the Las Vegas street circuit, especially its cold temperatures and long straights, could severely compromise their qualifying performance and, by extension, their prospects for a strong race result. For a team fighting intensely in the Constructors’ Championship, such technical glitches represent a substantial blow to their preparations.

The peculiar conditions of the session were evident from the outset. Following the morning’s precipitation, the circuit was initially damp, a novel experience for the brand-new track. Many drivers were hesitant to commit to extensive running on intermediate tires, with Oscar Piastri notably commenting on the rapid degradation of the intermediate compound while noting the extreme nervousness of attempting slicks on the still-sketchy surface. An early off-track excursion for Alexander Albon at Turn 5 served as a clear illustration of the treacherous grip levels, with lap times at this stage nearly 10 seconds adrift of anticipated dry-weather pace.

As the track began to dry, the strategic decision-making around tire compounds became paramount. Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari initially led the intermediate-tire charge with a 1m42.809s, demonstrating early confidence in the damp. However, as the drying line became more pronounced, championship leader Norris bravely broke the intermediate spell, opting for soft slicks. His race engineer’s cautious instruction to take "zero risk" proved prescient, as a worrying slide and an off-track moment at the iconic Sphere section quickly underscored that the circuit was not yet fully prepared for the grippier dry tires. Despite this, the trend was set, and within minutes, all remaining cars had transitioned to the soft compound, hoping to exploit the rapidly improving conditions.

The final quarter of the session saw a flurry of rapid improvements as drivers pushed the limits on the drying tarmac. Yuki Tsunoda briefly propelled his Racing Bulls car to the top of the timesheets on softs, a testament to his attacking style. He was swiftly demoted by Charles Leclerc, whose Ferrari clocked a 1m41.867s. The benchmark continued to drop dramatically as Verstappen then bolted on a fresh set of Pirelli’s red-walled softs, improving by over two seconds to set a 1m39.156s. This sparked a relentless cycle of improvements, with Leclerc, Hamilton, and Verstappen all taking turns at the top as lap times steadily fell into the 1m34s range, highlighting the rapid evolution of the track. Amidst the late-session chaos, Hamilton also had a near-collision with Liam Lawson in Turn 14, the braking zone at the end of the main Strip, further emphasizing the challenging conditions and high stakes.

Ultimately, it was Russell’s expertly executed late lap that secured him the top spot. Verstappen, despite his strong showing, couldn’t quite respond, going wide on his final flying attempt and cementing his second position. The final top ten was rounded out by some impressive performances: Alexander Albon continued Williams’s strong recent form by placing third, a notable achievement for the British team. Isack Hadjar, in the second Racing Bulls entry, put in a surprisingly strong fourth-place performance. Hamilton secured fifth for Ferrari, followed by Andrea Kimi Antonelli in the second Mercedes in sixth. Liam Lawson, in the other Racing Bulls, claimed seventh. The Aston Martin duo of Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso secured eighth and ninth respectively, with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly completing the top ten.

While George Russell’s pace in FP3 offers a morale boost for Mercedes and hints at the potential for an exciting qualifying session, the mixed conditions of the final practice mean that the true pecking order for the dry conditions expected in qualifying remains somewhat obscured. The critical technical issues faced by McLaren, however, are an undeniable concern, potentially jeopardizing their chances of capitalizing on their recent upturn in form at this high-profile event. All eyes will now turn to qualifying, where the teams will hope to have accurately predicted the optimal setup for the unique demands of the Las Vegas Strip Circuit, without the benefit of extensive dry running from FP3.

F1 Las Vegas GP – FP3 Results

Position	Driver	Team	Time
1	George Russell	Mercedes	1m34.054s
2	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	1m34.112s
3	Alexander Albon	Williams	1m34.201s
4	Isack Hadjar	Racing Bulls	1m34.357s
5	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	1m34.410s
6	Andrea Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	1m34.502s
7	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	1m34.555s
8	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	1m34.620s
9	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	1m34.701s
10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	1m34.789s
…	…	…	…
19	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	No time set
20	Lando Norris	McLaren	No time set

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Jonas Leo

Jonas Leo is a passionate motorsport journalist and lifelong Formula 1 enthusiast. With a sharp eye for race strategy and driver performance, he brings readers closer to the world of Grand Prix racing through in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive paddock insights. Jonas has covered everything from preseason testing to dramatic title deciders, capturing the emotion and precision that define modern F1. When he’s not tracking lap times or pit stop tactics, he enjoys exploring classic racing archives and writing about the evolution of F1 technology.

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