Las Vegas GP: Charles Leclerc ahead for fast Ferrari in Practice Two after drain delays on difficult first day

Repairs to drain covers around the new Strip Circuit after Carlos Sainz incident in shortened opening session caused two-and-half-hour delay to second session; Leclerc eventually fastest in P2; watch Las Vegas GP qualifying live on Saturday at 8am on Sky Sports F1

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Craig Slater describes how drain covers were forced up and did damage to the cars of Carlos Sainz and Esteban Ocon during P1 of the Las Vegas GP

Charles Leclerc impressively topped an extended and delayed Practice Two at the Las Vegas Grand Prix for a fast-starting Ferrari after F1’s arrival on the Strip had earlier been dramatically halted by a faulty drain cover.

First practice, which began at 8.30pm local time on Thursday, ran for little more than eight minutes before Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari was damaged after hitting the drain cover, with a red flag soon followed by a full cancellation of the session.

Extensive checks and repairs were carried out before Practice Two, which was extended from 60 to 90 minutes, was finally able to get under way at 2.30am local time, two-and-a-half hours later than scheduled.

In what will be a big relief for organisers and the sport on what is the biggest weekend of the season at F1’s huge new event, there was no further repeat of the earlier problems, with the session running without significant incident.

However, with the delays having run on into the middle of the night, the session played out without fans in the grandstand and expansive fan areas areas.

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Crag Slater chats to disgruntled F1 fans as they are asked to leave the Las Vegas GP practice session before it was due to restart

Practice Two’s extended session became the one meaningful one for F1’s opening long and fraught day in Vegas as it races on the new 3.8-mile Strip circuit for the first time.

Ferrari won on F1’s last visit to a street track, in Singapore in September – the only race-day defeat Red Bull have suffered all season – and showed promising early form here.

Leclerc was particularly fast and set the pace from team-mate Sainz by a full half a second with a best lap of 1:35.265.

“I am pretty confident they are going to be competitive,” said Sky F1’s Jenson Button of Ferrari.

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Max Verstappen appears to be racing already as he goes side by side with Charles Leclerc in practice two at the Las Vegas Grand Prix

Max Verstappen was only sixth, nine tenths of a second behind, with Sergio Perez instead the lead Red Bull in fourth.

For Sainz to even be on circuit was testament to the work of Ferrari’s mechanics in the extended gap between sessions. Sainz’s car had suffered major damage in the P1 drain incident and Ferrari had to change three different engine elements and the car’s main survival cell.

However, the sting in the tail was significant: the need for a new power unit energy store took Sainz over the limit for penalty-free parts for that area of the engine. Despite asking for dispensation, stewards said they were unable to grant such a wish – as they admitted they would have liked – as F1’s regulations did not allow it.

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The Las Vegas Grand Prix Practice One was suspended after eight minutes due to a track defect that forced Carlos Sainz to stop his car

It means Sainz instead takes a 10-place grid penalty into Sunday’s race.

Fernando Alonso took third for Aston Martin, with Valtteri Bottas up in fifth for Alfa Romeo behind Perez.

Mercedes were only ninth and 12th with Lewis Hamilton and George Russell respectively, while in-form McLaren finished outside the top 10 with both their cars.

More to follow…

When to watch the Las Vegas GP live on Sky Sports

Saturday November 18

• 4:15am: Las Vegas GP Practice Three (session starts at 4.30am)
• 7am: Las Vegas Grand Prix Qualifying build-up (also on Sky Showcase)
• 8am: Las Vegas GP Qualifying (also on Sky Showcase)
• 10am: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook

Sunday November 19

• 4:30am: Grand Prix Sunday: Las Vegas GP build-up (also on Sky Showcase)
• 6am: THE LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX (also on Sky Showcase)
• 8am: Chequered Flag: Las Vegas GP reaction (also on Sky Showcase)
• 9am: Ted’s Notebook (also on Sky Showcase)

Get ready for the big one: Formula 1 in Las Vegas! See drivers race down the Strip, and past landmarks like Caesars Palace and the Bellagio, on F1’s newest street track. Watch the whole Las Vegas GP weekend live on Sky Sports F1, starting this Friday with lights out on Sunday at 6am. Stream F1 on Sky Sports with NOW