Championship leader Lando Norris set the pace in a chaotic second practice session at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, which was twice halted and ultimately cut short due to a loose manhole cover.
The McLaren driver posted a time just 0.029 seconds quicker than Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli, who continued his impressive form. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc followed closely, finishing 0.161 seconds behind Norris in a session that offered only a partial glimpse of the weekend’s competitive order.
The unusual disruption emerged around 20 minutes before the scheduled end of the session. As cars swept through Turn 17, the final corner of the circuit, officials identified movement in one of the track’s manhole covers after a car passed over it. A red flag was immediately issued, and track workers moved in to inspect the affected area.
After a 15-minute stoppage, the session briefly resumed. But officials monitoring the corner reported that the cover was still shifting under the pressure of approaching cars. A second red flag followed almost immediately, prompting the FIA to end the session altogether for safety reasons.
The unexpected interruption caused frustration for several teams, particularly those who were unable to complete their soft-tyre runs or gather valuable long-run data. Among them were major title contenders Oscar Piastri, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, who will enter final practice with limited information.
McLaren’s Piastri, locked in a tight championship fight with teammate Norris, never had the opportunity to switch to the soft compound. The same applied to Verstappen, who had been searching for balance after a subdued first practice, and Hamilton, who ended the session tenth without completing a representative performance lap.
The disruption also prevented the usual race-simulation runs that teams rely on to assess tyre degradation and fuel-load behaviour. With qualifying approaching, engineers now face an intense night of recalibration based on incomplete data and rapidly changing track conditions.
Still, the session produced some surprising results. Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg finished an impressive fourth, capitalising on the reduced running to remain near the top of the timing sheets. The Racing Bulls enjoyed a strong showing too, with Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson securing fifth and sixth respectively.
Mercedes’ George Russell took seventh, while Williams’ Alex Albon managed eighth. Verstappen and Hamilton rounded out the top ten, though their lap times offered little insight into their true pace.
With the manhole issue likely requiring extensive overnight work, race officials are now under pressure to ensure the circuit is fully secured before final practice. Any further delays could compromise the tightly packed Las Vegas schedule, already known for its late-night sessions.
For Norris and McLaren, the day ends on a positive note, but the competitive picture remains blurred. The championship leader may have topped the timesheets, but with so many key rivals unable to complete planned programmes, the balance of power remains uncertain heading into a crucial weekend under the Nevada lights.
