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Lewis Hamilton bounced back from his “disaster of a weekend” in Brazil to train at the top in Las Vegas, leading a British double in both sessions, as Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff s ‘is said to be proud of how the two men succeeded. stay “professional” this season.
Ferrari-bound Hamilton, 39, who admitted he “didn’t want to come back” for the final three races of this season after finishing 10th in Sao Paulo, beat teammate George Russell to P2 in opening practice, with McLaren’s Lando Norris third. . Norris and Russell then switched positions during the second practice.
This is a stunning reversal of fortune for Hamilton, who has been the subject of feverish speculation in recent weeks following his poor performance in Brazil, and especially following quotes from Wolff who said in a new book that every driver had a “lifespan”.
Wolff was asked about these comments again at the FIA press conference on Thursday and did not back down. “What I said is that everyone has a lifespan and you shouldn’t go from good to good,” the Austrian said. “And that doesn’t exclude pilots. And that’s still something I stand by. I ask myself this question all the time. And so I do it for the organization and for everyone around.
“[But] you know, it was a sentence in a book and there were 99 sentences, you know, over the weekend in Brazil and quotes in some interviews that I gave on Lewis where I notice clearly that he is the greatest driver of all time and that if we We are able to give him a fast car that he will be able to win, he is capable of fighting for a championship but we have not succeeded.
“Obviously there are still three races to go, he announced he was going to Ferrari at the start of the year, and I’m quite proud of how we’ve managed to keep the professional relationship the way it is. But we knew it would never be easy.
Hamilton looked in fine form on the streets of Vegas, although the cold night temperatures and dusty track surface undoubtedly suited the Mercedes.
Norris, who must beat Red Bull champion-elect Verstappen by at least three points in Sin City to keep the title race alive, finished +0.011 seconds behind Hamilton in second practice, with Russell third at +0.190.
The Ferraris of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc finished fourth and fifth. Verstappen was only able to finish 17th after a difficult day. The world champion’s long stint pace looked competitive, but he struggled to get his tires into the operating window during his fast laps.
Many celebrities are expected to travel to Las Vegas for qualifying on Friday night and the grand prix on Saturday. From Hollywood stars such as Brad Pitt and Sylvester Stallone to rapper Snoop Dogg and Olympic legend Michael Phelps.
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