Summary

  • Leclerc tops delayed second practice after track issues

  • Session 90 minutes long after first practice ended early with cars damaged by track's drain covers

  • Ocon and Sainz's chassis to be changed for drain cover damage

  • Sainz receives grid drop for using new battery after damage

  • Get involved #bbcf1

Live Reporting

Lorraine McKenna

  1. Back on Saturday at 04:15 GMT

    Charles LeclercGetty Images

    No idea what time (or day) it is in Las Vegas. What drama on the opening night on the Strip.

    Charles Leclerc was half a second quicker than Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso, but can the Ferrari driver put the troubles of Sao Paulo two weeks ago behind him and secure his first win of the 2023 season? He has to qualifying on pole position first.

    If you missed it earlier, Carlos Sainz has been handed a 10-place grid penalty for the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Thanks a lot, drain cover.

    Set your alarm, if you fancy, for 04:15 GMT for build-up to third practice and qualifying tomorrow.

    Night, night!

  2. And the rest

    11. Lando Norris (McLaren)

    12. George Russell (Mercedes)

    13. Kevin Magnussen (Haas)

    14. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

    15. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)

    16. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)

    17. Yuki Tsunoda (Alpha Tauri)

    18. Zhou Guanyu (Alfa Romeo)

    19. Daniel Ricciardo (Alpha Tauri)

    20. Logan Sargeant (Willians)

  3. Top 10

    1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

    2. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)

    3. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

    4. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)

    5. Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo)

    6. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

    7. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)

    8. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

    9. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

    10. Alex Albon (Williams)

  4. chequered flag

    Chequered flag

    We made it!

    Second practice finally comes to an end and Charles Leclerc tops the session with a 1:35.265 on the soft tyre.

    It's a one-two for Ferrari, as Carlos Sainz finishes second and the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso comes home in third.

  5. The moment fans were told they had to leave the track before second practice started.

    Tickets for the opening session in Las Vegas were priced at $900 last year.

    fans being told to leave the grand stands at the Las Vegas Grand Prix practice sessionGetty Images

  6. "Sorry, this has been messy," says Logan Sargeant, as he gets his Williams all in a muddle. 'Not to worry and keep your head down' is the advice offered to the American driver.

  7. Get Involved

    #BBCF1

    Darren: Surely the Sainz grid penalty is unfair as the parts were replaced due to a fault with the track? Seems very unfair

  8. Charles Leclerc is miffed with the Alfa Romeo of Zhou Guanyu getting in his way. "Oh come on Zhou, wake up!" cries the Ferrari driver. "Oh my god it's too late for him!"

  9. Jolyon Palmer
    Former Renault driver on BBC Radio 5 Live

    I think this has been Sainz's best year with Ferrari.

    He's a grand prix winner in Singapore. He's not completely had his own way and Ferrari have had a lot of bad luck

  10. Charles Leclerc is still the quickest man on track but the Ferrari needs his Sat Nav to weave his way out of trouble on the Las Vegas Strip. The Monegasque driver needs the aid off the run-off area to get himself back amongst the action.

    10 minutes to go. I'm not going to lie, I'm happy about that.

  11. Valtteri Bottas, Yuki Tsunoda and Logan Sargeant have gone rogue. The Alfa Romeo, Alpha Tauri and the Williams are taking the hard compound out for a spin.

  12. A change of pace for most drivers as the medium tyres are being fitted now. Fernando Alonso gets the thumbs up from his mechanics and out he creeps from the Aston Martin garage.

  13. Max Verstappen's dad, Jos, is in the Red Bull garage trying to keep warm. Track temperature is currently 15C and air temperature 14C, so a decent coat is a must.

  14. Spongebob is watching, but no such luck for the fans who were turfed out earlier on.

    Charls Leclerc, Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz are the top three drivers so far. Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas are just on the fringes.

    SphereGetty Images

  15. Get Involved

    #BBCF1

    Tom: With fans being kicked out at 1:30 am for “logistical reasons”, if there is any delay at all in qualifying then there’s a very good chance that only the fans watching from home will be able to watch Q3

  16. Valtteri Bottas, who has a new calendar out featuring various pictures of his bottom (all proceeds go to charity!), is in the mix of the top five. The Alfa Romeo driver was fourth but has now been bumped to fifth, as Fernando Alonso has muscled his way back into the front two.

  17. The cars are flying out on track as we hit 30 minutes to go of this extended (and very delayed) second practice session. Nico Hulkenberg in the Haas is on some softs and the German goes fourth quickest.

    Meanwhile, Ferrari are back to a one-two on the timesheets thanks to Carlos Sainz's 1:35.821. Sergio Perez, holding onto to that second spot in the championship, is third.

  18. Alice Powell
    British racing driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    I feel for the fans, there was still a few fans in the grand stands who had been waiting this entire time and now they're being asked to leave before the session even restarted. They paid money to be here.

  19. Hold the phone. Charles Leclerc looks like a rocket ship in the other Ferrari. The Monegasque driver crosses the line to go top of the timesheets with a 1:35.696 - sixth-tenths faster than Max Verstappen's Red Bull!

  20. Does the Las Vegas boulevard have anything more to offer drivers? Carlos Sainz finds some time in his Ferrari to become the new leader of the pack with a 1:36.354 on the softs, but that marker is wiped out, as Max Verstappen pulls off a 1:36.307 on the same rubber.