The highly anticipated Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend continued its unpredictable narrative as George Russell of Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team emerged as the quickest driver in the final practice session, setting a blistering pace on the neon-lit streets of the iconic Strip. The session, however, concluded prematurely under a red flag, adding another dramatic twist to a weekend already marked by disruptions and unforeseen challenges. Russell’s dominant performance, clocking a 1’34.093, served as a powerful statement ahead of what promises to be a thrilling qualifying session and a spectacular night race.
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The 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix marked Formula 1’s return to the entertainment capital, transforming its famed boulevards into a high-speed circuit. Following significant disruptions to the opening practice sessions – particularly the infamous drain cover incident in FP1 that severely limited running – Free Practice 3 (FP3) became an even more critical window for teams to gather crucial data, refine car setups, and acclimatize drivers to the unique demands of this brand-new street circuit. The conditions remained challenging, with low ambient temperatures contributing to a cold and often slippery track surface, making tire management and grip acquisition a top priority for all contenders.
As the clock started for the crucial final hour of practice, there was a palpable sense of urgency in the paddock. The McLarens of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris were among the first cars to venture out onto the demanding circuit, keen to maximize track time. However, it was George Russell in his Mercedes who registered the first timed lap of the session, a 1’43.603, after the McLarens opted for immediate pit returns for initial checks. This early marker set the tone for Mercedes’ focused approach, highlighting their intent to quickly get to grips with the evolving track conditions.
Ferrari, having shown impressive pace in the preceding sessions, quickly reasserted themselves. Charles Leclerc, who had topped the timesheets in earlier running, swiftly climbed back to the summit of the leaderboard on the medium compound tires, posting a commanding 1’36.508. His teammate, Carlos Sainz Jnr, mirrored his performance from FP2, settling in half a second adrift. The Scuderia’s consistent speed on the medium tires hinted at a strong baseline setup, although the crucial soft tire performance would soon become the focus of many teams.
A notable aspect of the session’s opening phase was the patient approach adopted by several front-running teams. Despite the limited running from earlier sessions and the rapidly approaching qualifying, powerhouses like Red Bull Racing, along with AlphaTauri and Williams, chose to keep their cars in the garage for the initial third of the session. This strategic delay allowed them to observe track evolution and analyze early lap times before committing their drivers to the circuit. Approximately 20 minutes into FP3, the reigning world champion, Max Verstappen, finally emerged from the Red Bull garage, immediately switching to the softer compound tires to gauge their performance.
Verstappen’s initial push lap on the softs was not as quick as the leading Ferraris, a rare sight given his typical immediate pace. However, in classic Verstappen fashion, after carefully managing his tire temperatures with a double cool-down lap, his subsequent full-speed attempt was nothing short of sensational. He effortlessly displaced the top times, leaping to the fastest position by just under half a second, showcasing the raw speed and potential of the Red Bull RB19 on new soft tires. Following his teammate’s lead, Sergio Perez also found significant pace, improving to secure the second-fastest time, solidifying Red Bull’s formidable presence at the top. Adding to the session’s surprises, Alexander Albon demonstrated the impressive potential of his Williams, vaulting into third place, remarkably ahead of both Ferraris who had set their best times on the less grippy medium tires. Mercedes then equipped both Russell and Lewis Hamilton’s cars with soft tires, with Russell subsequently displacing Albon to take third, while Hamilton struggled slightly to match the pace, unable to surpass the times set by the Ferraris on the medium compound.
As the session approached its final 20 minutes, a strategic lull descended upon the track. The majority of the field opted to return to their pit garages, preparing for what would be their critical qualifying simulation runs. This segment of FP3 is often where teams reveal their true one-lap pace, and with qualifying just hours away, every hundredth of a second counts. Mercedes, however, chose a different path, keeping George Russell on track. This decision paid off handsomely, as Russell, on his third push lap on the same set of soft tires, managed to improve his time once more, inching ahead by a few hundredths of a second to claim the provisional top spot, highlighting the resilience of the Mercedes W14 on longer runs and the driver’s exceptional car control.
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The closing minutes of FP3 were a frantic scramble for supremacy. Max Verstappen, pushing hard to reclaim his top position, set the fastest time in the first sector, signaling a potential new benchmark. However, a crucial mistake into Turn 12 forced him wide into the run-off area, leading to an aborted lap and preventing him from completing what could have been a chart-topping run. Seizing this opportunity, Oscar Piastri delivered a stunning push lap, momentarily going fastest of all, showcasing McLaren’s strong single-lap potential and the young Australian’s growing confidence. Yet, the final word belonged to George Russell, who responded with an even more impressive effort, finding almost four tenths of a second to reclaim the coveted top spot, reaffirming his blistering pace and Mercedes’ competitive package.
However, the session’s climax was overshadowed by a dramatic incident involving Alexander Albon. With approximately five minutes remaining on the clock, Albon, pushing the limits of his Williams, experienced a significant lock-up under braking for Turn 5. This led to severe understeer, causing his car to slide into the outside barrier and sustain damage to its left side. As he gingerly limped his damaged car back to the pits, a far more alarming event occurred: his left-rear tire detached completely from its wheel right along the high-speed Strip straight. The loose tire rolled dangerously across the track, narrowly missing Max Verstappen’s approaching Red Bull. While the runaway tire fortuitously came to rest by the barriers without further incident, the severity of the situation prompted race control to immediately deploy the red flag. Given the minimal time remaining and the need to ensure track safety, officials confirmed that the session would not be resumed, signaling an early end to FP3 and leaving some drivers unable to complete their planned qualifying simulations.
Despite the abrupt conclusion, George Russell’s exceptional lap in the final ten minutes proved sufficient to secure him the quickest time of the session. His performance underscored Mercedes’ strong form and his personal ability to extract maximum pace under pressure on a challenging new circuit. Oscar Piastri’s impressive showing earned him a well-deserved second place for McLaren, highlighting their consistent progress and potential for a strong qualifying. In a significant display for Williams, Logan Sargeant delivered a standout performance to secure the third-fastest time, showcasing the team’s adaptability to the unique Las Vegas conditions. The Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez finished fourth and fifth, respectively, their positions perhaps not fully indicative of their ultimate pace given Verstappen’s aborted lap. Albon, despite his late incident, remarkably held on to sixth place, a testament to his strong earlier performance. Fernando Alonso placed seventh for Aston Martin, followed by Lewis Hamilton in eighth for Mercedes. Valtteri Bottas secured ninth for Alfa Romeo, with Kevin Magnussen completing the top ten for Haas. Surprisingly, both Ferraris of Leclerc and Sainz, after their promising early pace on mediums, found themselves well outside the top ten, finishing in a disappointing 16th and 17th, suggesting potential struggles with the soft tires or specific qualifying setups in the colder conditions.
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2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix Third Practice Result
| P. | # | Driver | Team | Model | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | W14 | 1’34.093 | 23 | |
| 2 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren-Mercedes | MCL60 | 1’34.491 | 0.398 | 20 |
| 3 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams-Mercedes | FW45 | 1’34.645 | 0.552 | 17 |
| 4 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull-Honda RBPT | RB19 | 1’34.653 | 0.560 | 14 |
| 5 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull-Honda RBPT | RB19 | 1’34.706 | 0.613 | 13 |
| 6 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams-Mercedes | FW45 | 1’34.726 | 0.633 | 14 |
| 7 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin-Mercedes | AMR23 | 1’34.788 | 0.695 | 18 |
| 8 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | W14 | 1’34.853 | 0.760 | 24 |
| 9 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo-Ferrari | C43 | 1’34.908 | 0.815 | 18 |
| 10 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas-Ferrari | VF-23 | 1’35.067 | 0.974 | 18 |
| 11 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren-Mercedes | MCL60 | 1’35.089 | 0.996 | 17 |
| 12 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas-Ferrari | VF-23 | 1’35.112 | 1.019 | 17 |
| 13 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin-Mercedes | AMR23 | 1’35.253 | 1.160 | 20 |
| 14 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine-Renault | A523 | 1’35.297 | 1.204 | 15 |
| 15 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo-Ferrari | C43 | 1’35.881 | 1.788 | 15 |
| 16 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | SF-23 | 1’35.908 | 1.815 | 22 |
| 17 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jnr | Ferrari | SF-23 | 1’35.939 | 1.846 | 21 |
| 18 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT | AT04 | 1’36.087 | 1.994 | 15 |
| 19 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine-Renault | A523 | 1’36.485 | 2.392 | 12 |
| 20 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT | AT04 | 1’37.778 | 3.685 | 15 |
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2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix Combined Practice Times
| P. | # | Driver | Team | FP1 time | FP2 time | FP3 time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1’45.497 | 1’36.890 | 1’34.093 | 64 | |
| 2 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren-Mercedes | No time | 1’36.987 | 1’34.491 | 0.398 | 57 |
| 3 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams-Mercedes | No time | 1’38.140 | 1’34.645 | 0.552 | 59 |
| 4 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull-Honda RBPT | 1’44.397 | 1’36.183 | 1’34.653 | 0.560 | 55 |
| 5 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull-Honda RBPT | 1’46.793 | 1’36.085 | 1’34.706 | 0.613 | 53 |
| 6 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams-Mercedes | No time | 1’36.688 | 1’34.726 | 0.633 | 58 |
| 7 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin-Mercedes | No time | 1’35.793 | 1’34.788 | 0.695 | 58 |
| 8 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1’48.513 | 1’36.663 | 1’34.853 | 0.760 | 70 |
| 9 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo-Ferrari | 1’47.147 | 1’36.129 | 1’34.908 | 0.815 | 58 |
| 10 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas-Ferrari | 1’44.261 | 1’36.917 | 1’35.067 | 0.974 | 59 |
| 11 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren-Mercedes | 1’48.947 | 1’36.864 | 1’35.089 | 0.996 | 53 |
| 12 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas-Ferrari | 1’43.446 | 1’36.489 | 1’35.112 | 1.019 | 54 |
| 13 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin-Mercedes | No time | 1’36.496 | 1’35.253 | 1.160 | 62 |
| 14 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1’40.909 | 1’35.265 | 1’35.908 | 1.172 | 65 |
| 15 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine-Renault | 1’45.365 | 1’37.241 | 1’35.297 | 1.204 | 57 |
| 16 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jnr | Ferrari | 1’45.824 | 1’35.782 | 1’35.939 | 1.689 | 64 |
| 17 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo-Ferrari | 1’48.822 | 1’37.656 | 1’35.881 | 1.788 | 56 |
| 18 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT | 1’45.908 | 1’37.412 | 1’36.087 | 1.994 | 61 |
| 19 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine-Renault | 1’48.253 | 1’37.134 | 1’36.485 | 2.392 | 50 |
| 20 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT | 1’48.650 | 1’37.680 | 1’37.778 | 3.587 | 59 |
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2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix
- Tost blames track inspection oversight for Sainz’s damage in Las Vegas
- Hard to repeat “rare” combination of factors behind Vegas shunt – Norris
- Las Vegas Grand Prix “got a lot more hate than it deserved” – Sargeant
- Williams’ “incredible” Vegas qualifying made us “poor” in race – Vowles
- Piastri is first rookie to take two fastest laps in a season since Hamilton
Browse all 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix articles