2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix FP1 Results: Leclerc Fastest from Albon and Tsunoda

Charles Leclerc tops Free Practice 1 at the 2025 F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix ahead of Alex Albon and Yuki Tsunoda. Full FP1 report, key moments and long-run insights.

The 2025 Formula 1 season rolled into Sin City for round 22 of the World Championship, with Free Practice 1 for the Las Vegas Grand Prix taking place under the Thursday night lights at the Las Vegas Strip Circuit on November 20th.

On a rapidly evolving street surface, Charles Leclerc set the early benchmark for Ferrari, finishing FP1 at the top of the timesheets ahead of Alexander Albon and Yuki Tsunoda.

FP1 Results: Leclerc Leads Albon and Tsunoda

In the closing stages of the session, Leclerc bolted on a set of soft tyres and delivered a best lap of 1:34.802, putting Ferrari in control of the opening practice hour.

• P1 – Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 1:34.802 (Soft)

• P2 – Alexander Albon (Williams) – +0.166s

• P3 – Yuki Tsunoda – +0.269s

Albon’s late push underlined Williams’ strong one-lap pace on low fuel, while Tsunoda slotted into third, breaking up what had initially looked like a dominant Red Bull camp at the sharp end in the early minutes.

Ferrari Start Strong as Leclerc Finds Confidence Early

Ferrari’s weekend got off to the perfect start, with Leclerc quickly adapting to the unique grip evolution of the Las Vegas Strip Circuit. Despite the slippery surface and changing braking points, he consistently improved as the track rubbered in.

The team focused heavily on short-run performance early on, before blending in longer stints towards the end of the session. Leclerc’s final effort on softs not only secured P1, but also suggested that Ferrari have arrived with a solid baseline setup for the rest of the weekend.

Williams Surprise: Albon Delivers Eye-Catching Pace

Williams continued their trend of punching above their weight on low-fuel runs, with Alexander Albon finishing just 0.166s off Leclerc’s benchmark.

Albon looked comfortable threading the car between the walls, finding time lap after lap as the track grip increased. His speed at the end of the long straights and confidence on the brakes point to a car well suited to high-speed street circuits.

While FP1 times always come with caveats around fuel loads and engine modes, Albon’s performance will raise hopes at Williams of a genuine Q3 challenge on Saturday.

McLaren’s Messy Start: Norris Clips the Wall, Piastri Struggles

It was a more complicated session for McLaren, who appeared to be experimenting with significantly different rear-wing configurations between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

• Norris made light contact with the wall during one of his push laps, forcing him to back off and regroup.

• Piastri repeatedly had his laps compromised, either by small mistakes or traffic, preventing him from stringing together a fully clean lap.

Both drivers described their laps as “messy,” and onboard footage backed that up: mid-corner instability and traction issues made the car look a handful on the evolving surface.

Despite this, McLaren still ended the session in respectable positions, with:

• Norris finishing P6

• Piastri in P8

That leaves plenty of room for improvement once setup data is digested and the balance is refined overnight.

Mercedes Play the Long Game with Fuel and Tyres

Mercedes started FP1 relatively quietly, with both George Russell and Lewis Hamilton sitting around four to five tenths off Leclerc’s early soft-tyre pace. That gap, however, may have been heavily influenced by higher fuel loads during their initial runs.

On their second push attempts, especially for Russell, the times improved significantly, moving him into the second-fastest range and suggesting that the raw pace is there once the team switches to a more aggressive engine mode and sim-qualifying fuel levels.

Mercedes appeared to be focusing on:

• Understanding tyre degradation on the C3–C5 compounds

• Fine-tuning braking stability into the heavy stops that define the Las Vegas layout

• Gathering data for both qualifying and race simulations

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RB Camp Drama: Hadjar vs Albon, Lawson Stays Calm

There was a flash of drama involving Isack Hadjar, who found himself blocked by Albon during one of his laps. As the two cars ran side by side, Hadjar made his frustration clear, raising his arms in visible protest at the Williams driver.

While Hadjar’s session was disrupted, his teammate Liam Lawson delivered a much calmer and more consistent performance, maintaining a solid pace from the opening minutes and flirting with the top 10 as the track evolved.

Overall, it was a mixed start for the RB outfits: strong one-lap potential in the camp, but also traffic issues and execution problems that will need resolving before FP2 and FP3.

Street Circuit Challenges: Evolving Track and Tyre Overheating

As expected for a temporary street circuit, conditions changed quickly throughout FP1:

• Early in the session, many drivers struggled with tyre overheating, especially on the softer compounds in the C3–C5 range.

• Braking points had to be adjusted lap by lap as grip increased and the track surface cleaned up.

• Several drivers reported difficulties in hooking up clean laps due to small lock-ups, mid-corner snaps and sliding on dusty patches.

Once more rubber was laid down, lap times began to tumble rapidly, creating a late-session shootout that decided the final order. Teams will now be poring over telemetry to understand how the track is likely to evolve further into FP2, qualifying, and the race.

Haas Focus on Long-Run Data with Ocon and Bearman

While others chased headline lap times, Haas opted for a more conservative, race-oriented approach.

• Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman each completed 27 laps, combining for a total of 56 laps across the session.

• The focus was clearly on long-run simulations rather than peak one-lap performance.

Although they finished 16th and 17th in the timesheets, the team will be satisfied with the amount of data gathered ahead of what is effectively their third “home race” of the season. With so much variation in track evolution, banking long-run information early could pay off when race strategy comes into play.

What to Watch Next in Las Vegas

With FP1 complete, here are the key storylines to follow heading into FP2, FP3, and qualifying:

• Can Ferrari convert FP1 speed into pole position contention?

• Is Williams’ pace sustainable once others turn up their engine modes?

• Will McLaren unlock a more stable setup and join the front-running fight?

• Can Mercedes’ higher-fuel pace translate into strong race strategy options?

• Will the RB camp and Haas convert their mixed but data-rich sessions into better qualifying positions?

As the Las Vegas Strip Circuit continues to evolve and grip levels improve, expect the pecking order to shuffle again before we reach the all-important qualifying session.

FAQ: 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix FP1

• When was Free Practice 1 for the 2025 Las Vegas GP held?

FP1 took place on Thursday, November 20th, 2025, at the Las Vegas Strip Circuit.

• Who was fastest in FP1 at the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix?

Charles Leclerc topped the timesheets for Ferrari with a lap of 1:34.802 on soft tyres.

• Who completed the top three in FP1?

Leclerc was followed by Alexander Albon in second and Yuki Tsunoda in third.

• Why were some teams slower in FP1?

Fuel loads, tyre choices, and long-run programmes played a big role. Teams like Mercedes and Haas appeared to prioritize data gathering and race pace rather than chasing pure one-lap speed.

Watch our F1 watchalong of Las Vegas GP Free Practice 1