After the first practice session of the Las Vegas Grand Prix was canceled due to a water valve manhole cover on the track route hitting the car of Carlos Sainz, several drivers raved about the track after taking part in the second practice session.
Drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell both shared positive reviews about the first-ever Las Vegas Grand Prix track route which runs along the city's iconic strip.
Hamilton, who posted the ninth fastest time, enjoyed his time despite the unexpected delay of road repairs.
“It’s incredibly fast and it’s a lot of fun—I had so much fun today,” Hamilton told Sky Sports F1.
Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports
The 38 year-old distinguished British driver was happy that the road was able to be fixed quickly, enabling a second practice session to take place.
“I’m so glad we did get to run again. They did a great job to fix it and it was an interesting session,” added Hamilton.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc posted the best time of 1:35.265 during the second practice run.
Charles Leclerc puts in the fastest lap around the Las Vegas Strip Circuit ✨#LasVegasGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/mpJcc7CtYZ
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 17, 2023
Meanwhile Russell, who clocked 12th overall, also praised the speed of the Vegas route.
“It’s a very fast circuit, the highest top speeds of the year probably, and obviously racing at night is pretty spectacular,” said Russell. “I think it is going to be an interesting race weekend.”
Racing fans will be tuned in on Friday night when drivers will compete in the final practice run, with qualifying scheduled to follow soon after.
The 50-lap race, which will take on Saturday night at 10 p.m. PT, is expected to draw more than 100,000 racing fans.
