Lando Norris set the pace during the second practice session in Las Vegas, which was temporarily halted for 19 minutes due to a loose manhole cover.
Leading the championship by 24 points as the season nears its conclusion, Norris outpaced Kimi Antonelli from Mercedes by a narrow margin of 0.029 seconds on the Las Vegas Strip. Max Verstappen, trailing by 49 points in the title race, finished ninth, while Norris’ teammate Oscar Piastri ended up in 14th place.
The session faced two red flag interruptions following reports of a dislodged drain cover at the 17th corner, reminiscent of a similar incident two years ago when a manhole cover damaged Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari. Race control, responding to marshal reports, took precautionary measures by suspending the session to assess the situation.
After a 16-minute delay, the session resumed briefly before being halted again for safety reasons as the manhole cover was observed moving under passing cars. Further inspections were initiated to ensure track safety.
The Las Vegas race, organized by F1’s American owners Liberty Media, is a unique event on the calendar. The disruptions during practice sessions affected the performance of top drivers, leading to an unclear timesheet due to incomplete laps on the fastest tire compound.
As the season heads towards its climax with races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi remaining, McLaren, despite their strong overall performance, has faced challenges on the Las Vegas street circuit in previous races.
Although Norris struggled in the initial practice, finishing sixth after running wide on two laps, his competitive pace in the subsequent interrupted session indicates potential for a strong performance as he aims for his first world championship.
