Lando Norris led the second practice session in Las Vegas, which was briefly halted for 19 minutes due to a loose manhole cover. Norris, who currently holds a 24-point lead in the championship standings with three rounds left in the season, edged out Kimi Antonelli from Mercedes by a mere 0.029 seconds on the Strip. Max Verstappen, trailing by 49 points in the title race, finished ninth, while Norris’ teammate Oscar Piastri came in 14th.
The session faced two red-flag stoppages after reports of a dislodged drain cover at the final corner, reminiscent of a similar incident two years ago when a manhole cover caused damage to Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari. The FIA red-flagged the session as a precautionary measure following reports from marshals, although initial CCTV footage did not confirm the issue. A 16-minute delay ensued before the pit-lane reopened for a brief six-minute session, only to be interrupted again shortly after.
Race control personnel on-site reported movement of the manhole cover as cars passed over it, prompting the session to end under red-flag conditions for further inspections. The Las Vegas race, promoted by F1’s American owners Liberty Media, is the only event on the calendar held in the city. The interruptions during practice led to an unpredictable timesheet, with top drivers struggling to set competitive lap times on the soft tire compound.
As the season approaches its climax in Las Vegas, with subsequent rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, McLaren has been a dominant force this year. However, the street circuit in Las Vegas has not favored their cars in previous races held in Nevada. Despite a modest performance in the opening session, Norris showed promise in the disrupted final session, aiming for his first world championship victory.