As it happened: 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix first practice

This session has finished. No further updates will be posted.

First practice for the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix is coming up next

There are no changes to the usual driver line-up for first practice today – all 20 drivers want to take full advantage of the opportunity to familiarise themselves at this street circuit. Of course this session was badly disrupted last year when a loose valve cover caused serious damage to Carlos Sainz Jnr’s Ferrari – and was also hit by Esteban Ocon’s Alpine.

First practice is go at the Las Vegas Strip Circuit. “Very slippery already,” reports Oscar Piastri.

“It feels like I’m driving in the wet, honestly,” adds Liam Lawson, whose only prior experience of this track is a couple of tours in a Mustang during last year’s event.

Max Verstappen sets the early pace with a 1’44.239 but he’s now behind Russell and Hulkenberg. Tsunoda complains he’s being held up by cars ahead.

The track condition is quite poor, drivers kicking up a huge amount of dust, especially as they approach turn 14 at the end of The Strip.

Lap times are improving very quickly as drivers clean the dust from the track. Kevin Magnussen, back in the Haas in he antepenultimate appearance as an F1 driver, does a 1’40.407 which is almost four seconds quicker than the fastest time a short while ago. Meanwhile Norris goes wide at turn 14.

Valtteri Bottas will have a grid penalty for Sunday’s grand prix as he has taken his fourth energy store of the year.

Lewis Hamilton leads a Mercedes one-to at the moment with a 1’36.927 on mediums. Everyone is on the same compound bar the soft-shod Red Bull duo.

“The front-left doesn’t look great,” reports Piastri. “Lots of graining.” Stallard asks: “Understood, Do you want to try one more lap or is it finished?” “No it’s not finished,” Piastri replies.

Charles Leclerc is being reminded to watch the white line at pit entry as Franco Colapinto is shown the black-and-white flag for crossing it without pitting. Alexander Albon now gets the same.

Russell: “The pit entry line is almost impossible to see.”

The lap times haven’t improved much lately, Hamilton’s time is still the benchmark, but Leclerc looks on course to beat that. Sure enough he puts up a 1’36.430 to go fastest by almost half a second.

Max Verstappen, currently 14th, is not happy. “I hate this fucking wheel. It has this connection issue. The radio went on by itself.”

Sergio Perez improves but only to ninth place, 1.1 seconds off the pace. Verstappen was 2.4s off but goes sixth with a 1’36.761. Meanwhile Norris has improved the best time to a 1’35.954.

Both Aston Martins are in the bottom five. “Tyres still feel too cold, man,” reports Lance Stroll.

“Both the fronts have gone already,” reports Norris, now second, after six laps on softs. Soon afterwards he says: “I need to box, mate.” Russell was quickest on a 1’35.619 but Hamilton, who just switched to softs, takes it off him with a 1’35.487.

The chequered flag is out and Hamilton posts a late improvement to lead the times with a 1’35.001. No one on course to beat that.

“Yeah, this steering wheel still randomly just disconnects,” concludes Verstappen after ending the first session in fifth place behind the Mercedes, Norris and Leclerc.

That brings the session to an end. Read our full report here

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix

• Vowles clarifies Colapinto’s claim he was concussed in Las Vegas crash
• Norris lost title because McLaren weren’t competitive enough early on – Stella
• Ferrari are now in their longest-ever championship drought
• F1 “was trying too hard” in first year at Las Vegas – Sainz
• 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend F1 driver ratings