F1 News: George Russell Reflects On Delayed Las Vegas GP Practice - "Very Fast Circuit"

George Russell had a positive FP2 run.

Despite a P12 finish, George Russell offered a positive review of the brand-new Las Vegas Grand Prix Street Circuit after the opening practice sessions. Though FP1 was canceled within ten minutes due to an incident involving Carlos Sainz and a drain hole cover, an extended 90-minute FP2 offered enough time for the drivers and the teams to learn the circuit.

Russell was positive and thankful that FP2 was possible after the track went through repairs and a thorough inspection of all the drain covers. The 25-year-old seems to have enjoyed zipping past the Strip on a circuit that helps drivers reach some of the highest speeds this season. 

Speaking to the media on his enthusiastic FP2 run, he said:

"It was good to finally get going after quite a long day! It was great to take to the track properly in FP2 and it’s a very fast circuit. It’s some of the highest speeds of the year and racing at night is spectacular. It’s going to be an interesting weekend. The session was dominated by trying to get the tyres working, and then managing graining too. I think that could hinder everyone come Saturday night.

"The track was evolving very quickly; the early laps were like driving on ice. However, as the dirt and the dust cleared you were learning, and your braking points were changing. That’s tricky, especially with a low downforce set-up, but I had good fun out there.

"Overall though, it’s all about pace. It was hard to get a true idea of where we are relative to others given we only took one new set of Soft tyres, where others took two. Ultimately, race pace will be key. I’m looking forward to getting some sleep now and coming back for FP3 later today!" 

Teammate Lewis Hamilton, on the other hand, finished P9 as he sang praises of the Las Vegas GP street circuit after having a blast around the track. He added:

“I had a blast. Everyone’s struggling with jet lag and all that stuff and I feel really great. I just watched a movie in the break [between FP1 and FP2] and I feel great and ready to go again!”