Jonas Leo
Following a period marked by criticism and a disappointing showing at the Brazil Grand Prix, Scuderia Ferrari has demonstrated an unexpected resurgence during Thursday’s practice sessions for the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The strong performance, particularly from Charles Leclerc, offers a glimmer of hope for the Italian outfit in what has been a challenging 2025 Formula 1 campaign.
The preceding Brazil Grand Prix had been a low point for Ferrari, prompting public remarks from the team’s chairman regarding the performance of its drivers. The bumpy, high-temperature conditions of the South American circuit exposed significant ride height and overall setup vulnerabilities within the Ferrari challenger, leaving the team well off the pace throughout the weekend. This led to increased scrutiny and calls for improved focus from the drivers.
However, the unique environment of the Las Vegas Street Circuit, characterized by cold, night-time running and a distinct track layout, appears to have played into Ferrari’s hands. Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc delivered an impressive performance, topping the first free practice session (FP1) before securing third place in the subsequent FP2 session. This contrasted sharply with the struggles of Lewis Hamilton, in his debut season with Ferrari, who managed 10th in FP1 and 11th in FP2, though his sessions were notably affected by various track disruptions.
Leclerc’s day was not entirely without incident, as he encountered a gearbox issue with approximately five minutes remaining in FP2. The problem necessitated him pulling off behind the Turn 5 barrier after receiving instructions not to use his gear shift. Despite this, the eight-time Grand Prix victor remained unconcerned in his post-practice media briefing, downplaying the incident as "a bit of a misunderstanding in everything that happened" and confidently stating, "it will be all fine."
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Reflecting on the team’s prospects for qualifying, Leclerc expressed cautious optimism. "Honestly, we are not in a bad place," he commented, acknowledging the tight competition ahead. "But we need to wait and see. I think the Mercedes is very strong and obviously McLaren and Red Bull are also in the fight so I think it’s going to be tight. I just hope we can build from now and be in the fight for pole tomorrow, but it’s been positive. I think the pace was strong today." His remarks underscore a renewed belief within the garage, a stark contrast to the mood after the previous race.
Ferrari’s 2025 season has largely been characterized by a struggle to build on their runner-up finish from the previous year, where they were locked in a championship battle with McLaren down to the Abu Dhabi finale. Currently positioned fourth in the Constructors’ standings with three Grands Prix remaining, their sole victory this season came in the Shanghai sprint race amidst what has largely been a season of domination by McLaren. This context makes the positive showing in Las Vegas even more significant, as the team searches for a strong finish to a challenging year.
The Las Vegas Grand Prix, being a relatively new addition to the calendar, has a reputation for presenting unique challenges and opportunities. Last year, the constructor’s champions, Red Bull, notably struggled here, finishing sixth and seventh due to significant issues with tyre graining—a phenomenon where small pieces of rubber tear off the tyre surface, leading to a loss of grip and performance. There is a widespread belief within the paddock that similar unpredictable conditions could level the playing field this year, potentially opening the door for teams like Mercedes, Red Bull, and Ferrari to contend for victory. This sentiment was echoed by George Russell, the Vegas 2024 winner, who had already ruled out the chances of a McLaren victory on Wednesday, despite championship leader Lando Norris topping the twice red-flagged FP2 session after taking sixth in FP1.
For Lewis Hamilton, his debut season with Ferrari has been marked by a search for consistent performance and his first Grand Prix podium for the Italian team outside of a sprint race victory. The Las Vegas practice sessions present a crucial opportunity for the seven-time world champion to capitalize on the team’s apparent improved form. Despite his lower positions on the timesheets, Hamilton’s underlying pace appeared solid on the opening day, suggesting that his results should not be over-interpreted.
His quickest lap in FP1, for instance, was impeded by a slower Nico Hulkenberg ahead, while drivers utilized differing tyre compounds and faced intermittent yellow and red flags during the fragmented second session. Consequently, Hamilton’s post-practice media session revealed a notably upbeat demeanor, a rarity for him this season given Ferrari’s struggles.
"I felt pretty decent," Hamilton stated, reflecting on his previous second-place finish in Vegas last year. "P1 generally felt good, I just didn’t get a lap in and then same thing in P2. We improved the car in P2 and I was feeling strong in sector one, same as I was in P1, but yellow flags and the red flags just got in the way unfortunately. But everyone’s in the same boat. I got some good learnings out there and I’m excited for tomorrow."
Hamilton also emphasized the exceptionally slippery nature of the track in FP1, highlighting how crucial mastering the tricky conditions will be for success throughout the weekend. Interestingly, despite his positive assessment, Hamilton confirmed, "we probably won’t make many changes tonight" to his car’s setup, indicating a degree of contentment with its current balance. This contrasts with Leclerc’s approach, who offered a differing opinion regarding setup adjustments.
"It’s all about trying to anticipate what the conditions of tomorrow will be like and make sure that we start on the right foot tomorrow," Leclerc explained. "But I have pretty clear ideas of what I want to do with the car to try and improve it and we’ll see tomorrow if these were the right choices." This difference in strategy underscores the intricate nature of optimizing performance on a rapidly evolving street circuit.
While the practice day in Las Vegas did not provide definitive answers for the upcoming qualifying and race, Ferrari’s unexpected presence in the frontrunning fight was undoubtedly one of its most significant takeaways. The team’s ability to adapt to the cold, low-grip conditions of the Nevada night offers a promising foundation as they head into a critical qualifying session, hoping to convert this early pace into a strong grid position and, potentially, a much-needed podium finish in their challenging 2025 campaign.
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Author Profile
- 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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