Verstappen and Red Bull Face Uncertainty After Las Vegas Practice Chaos
Formula 1 teams, including Max Verstappen's Red Bull, are in the dark after heavily disrupted practice sessions in Las Vegas left them with limited data. A loose manhole cover caused chaos, preventing proper long runs and qualifying simulations, leading to widespread uncertainty about true car performance and who holds the competitive edge for the race weekend. McLaren, surprisingly, emerged as the most confident team, hinting at a potential shake-up in the usual pecking order.
Top Formula 1 drivers and teams, including Max Verstappen and Red Bull, are grappling with significant uncertainty following heavily disrupted practice sessions in Las Vegas. A chaotic Friday, marked by a loose manhole cover, left teams with more questions than answers regarding true pace and car performance.
Why it matters:
The unprecedented disruption in Las Vegas practice sessions has left the grid in the dark, making it difficult for teams to gauge their true performance and prepare for qualifying and the race. This lack of data could lead to an unpredictable weekend, potentially shaking up the usual pecking order and offering opportunities for unexpected frontrunners.
The details:
- Interrupted Sessions: The first free practice saw Charles Leclerc top the timesheets, with Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda in the top four. However, the second session was severely impacted by a red flag due to a loose manhole cover.
- Limited Data Collection: Following the initial red flag, many drivers remained in their garages, waiting for the track to be cleared. While Leclerc showed strong pace on medium tires, setting the fastest time, the gaps among the top drivers were minimal.
- Soft Tire Frustration: When teams attempted soft tire runs, frontrunners struggled to improve their times. Leclerc completed a lap but couldn't match his medium tire pace, and both Red Bull drivers and George Russell failed to set competitive times on softs.
- Abandoned Session: The session was briefly resumed after the manhole cover incident, but ultimately abandoned due to ongoing safety concerns with the track surface.
- Verstappen's Ambiguity: Max Verstappen expressed satisfaction with his car's balance but admitted uncertainty about Red Bull's true standing without proper push or long runs. This leaves him and his team with a significant data deficit for the remainder of the weekend.
- Tsunoda and Lambiase Echo Concerns: Tsunoda mirrored Verstappen's sentiments, noting improved balance and hinting at potential pace, a notion confirmed by Verstappen's race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase.
- Mercedes' Worries: George Russell, last year's Las Vegas winner, voiced concerns about Mercedes' performance in similar conditions, fearing a loss of competitiveness on cold, low-downforce circuits despite overall improvements in the 2025 season car.
Between the lines:
McLaren emerged as the most confident team, a stark contrast to their previous struggles in Las Vegas and on cold, low-downforce tracks. Lando Norris topped the second practice session, and both he and Oscar Piastri reported significant improvements in car performance on the Strip. This unexpected turnaround for McLaren could indicate a strategic advantage if the track conditions remain consistent.
What's next:
The uncertainty after Friday's disrupted sessions sets the stage for a highly unpredictable Las Vegas Grand Prix. Without clear qualifying simulations or long-run data, the pecking order remains a mystery. While McLaren shows confidence, their optimism might be premature given the distorted nature of the practice sessions. The true test of pace and strategy will unfold in qualifying and the race, where teams will have to adapt quickly with limited information.