Second Free Practice Results & Report 2025 Las Vegas F1 GP

Event: Las Vegas Grand Prix
Track: Las Vegas Strip Circuit

Weather: dry 14°C
Tarmac: dry 16°C
Humidity: 56%
Wind: 5 km/h South

Norris Edges Antonelli in Chaotic Las Vegas FP2 as Red Flags and Wind Cause Havoc

The Las Vegas Strip lit up for the second practice session of the weekend – and so did the timing screens. Well… whenever someone actually managed to complete a lap. Between red flags, cold tyres, the wind kicking up, and more aborted attempts than a Monaco qualifying run, the second hour of Thursday running was more of a spectacle than a science experiment.

But when the dust settled – and there was plenty – Lando Norris put McLaren on top, a whisker ahead of an increasingly confident Kimi Antonelli, while Charles Leclerc completed the top three before his Ferrari gave up the ghost right at the end.

An FP2 with More Interruptions Than a Reality Show

The moment the session went green, the drizzle finally stopped – typical Vegas timing – but nobody hurried to touch the slicks. When the cars eventually ventured out, the track was still evolving, grip was scarce and the temperatures were falling faster than the chips at a blackjack table.

Lock-ups became the theme of the night. Turn 5 practically developed its own fan club as Bearman, Norris, Hadjar, Leclerc and half the grid sailed straight on with flat-spotted gifts to Pirelli. The wind didn’t help either, blowing cars off-line and tempers off balance.

Just as the front-runners prepped for push laps, the first set of red flags arrived. No crash, no dramatic plume of smoke – just a mysterious stoppage that robbed Russell of what looked like a genuinely strong soft-tyre attempt.

Norris Finds His Groove as Piastri Struggles to Complete a Lap

McLaren had spent FP1 tripping over their own setup choices, but FP2 started on the right foot. Norris hooked up his tyres beautifully, sending a 1:33.602 to the top of the screens. Behind him, teenage sensation Kimi Antonelli continued to look unnervingly at home in a Mercedes that’s clearly working well around the Strip.

Oscar Piastri? Not so lucky. The Australian repeatedly bailed on laps, most of them in Sector 2, and never got a meaningful shot on the softs thanks to the chaos around him. With McLaren splitting rear-wing specs for testing, Piastri ran the slimmer version and paid the price with a session that offered more questions than answers.

Ferrari Fast… Until They Weren’t

Leclerc looked sharp early on, continuing his strong form after topping FP1. Even his first attack on softs – ended by a monster lock-up and a near miss with the barriers – didn’t shake his rhythm. But his session ended prematurely when his Ferrari refused to shift gears.

He parked the car safely behind the barriers, but the late red flag ruined the final minutes for everyone else. Ferrari now face a likely late-night gearbox change, though they’re hardly the only team to do so after FP2 in Vegas.

Midfield Madness: Racing Bulls and Williams Shine Again

If FP2 had a surprise subplot, it was the continued pace of Racing Bulls and Williams.

Isack Hadjar and his teammate managed to get their laps in while the big teams stumbled. Both RBs hovered near the top in the early soft-tyre runs, while Lawson and Albon again demonstrated that Williams’ slippery package suits the low-downforce Las Vegas layout.

Albon’s Thursday form was particularly encouraging. After a rough stretch of races, he looked much more like the confident fighter we saw earlier this season.

Red Flags Return – and So Does the Confusion

Just as the lights went green following Leclerc's stoppage, the field lined up to salvage whatever remained of the evening. Three minutes later, the red flags flew again.

With no major incident on track, teams were left scratching their heads and running out of time. Anyone hoping for a final push lap was out of luck. Russell and Piastri in particular had every reason to feel short-changed.

Tyres: The Cold-Weather Headache Returns

The biggest talking point heading into FP2 was tyre warm-up, and it didn’t disappoint. The cool desert air, combined with a still-green track, meant front-tyre graining and understeer were rampant – not Lando Norris’s favourite combination.

McLaren spent much of last year puzzled by front-axle behaviour on cold street tracks. Tonight’s performance hints at improvement, but Friday will reveal whether the trend holds when everyone actually strings a clean lap together.

What the Timesheet Actually Means

The FP2 classification reads:

1. Norris – McLaren

2. Antonelli – Mercedes (+0.029s)

3. Leclerc – Ferrari

4. Hulkenberg – Haas

5. Verstappen – Red Bull

But the truth? The picture is as cloudy as the mini-drizzle that greeted the start of the session.

• Piastri: no soft-lap
• Russell: best laps interrupted
• Wind: everywhere
• Red flags: badly timed
• Traffic: abundant
• Grip: optional

Which means Friday is shaping up beautifully – a potential eight-car shootout for pole, various rear-wing configurations still undecided, and top drivers hunting for redemption after a messy evening.

Friday Beckons: Vegas Gets Serious

Tomorrow brings FP3 followed by a late-night qualifying showdown on the Strip. If today was any indication, the pecking order remains wide open, and the improving track surface will reshuffle the pack yet again.

Norris leaves Thursday with the psychological edge, Antonelli looks more dangerous by the session, Ferrari have work to do, and Red Bull are lurking quietly in the shadows.

Las Vegas hasn’t shown its full hand yet – and that’s exactly why this weekend is already shaping up to be a thriller.

FP2 Times Table 2025 Las Vegas GP

✅ Check out our 2025 Las Vegas Formula 1 Grand Prix preview.

About the author

Leopold

Leopold Pleijsier founded F1-Fansite.com in 2001 and has followed Formula 1 since the early 1980s. He writes about daily F1 news, race weekends, drivers and the sport’s history.

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