Lewis Hamilton said he “had a blast” driving around Las Vegas in the heftily delayed FP2 session after FP1 was curtailed.
Carlos Sainz saw his Ferrari suffer huge damage after dislodging a water valve cover, which led to FP2 being delayed by two-and-a-half hours and a 4am finish for second practice.
Despite the disruption, Mercedes driver Hamilton said he used the time to watch a film and switch off before going top speed around Las Vegas.
Lewis Hamilton ‘had so much fun’ learning Las Vegas layout
There had initially been worries as to whether or not FP2 would happen at all while track repairs took place and further checks were undertaken throughout the circuit, but the drivers eventually got out again in the middle of the night for 90 minutes of running.
With top speeds right up there with the highest of the season, the seven-time World Champion said he enjoyed himself around a new circuit for Formula 1 this weekend.
“It’s incredibly fast, and I had so much fun today,” Hamilton said with a smile to Sky Sports F1’s Ted Kravitz after the session.
I’m so happy we were able to go running once more. Although what happened in P1 was obviously not ideal, they did a great job fixing it, and the session was interesting.
Even though George Russell and Hamilton, the Mercedes duo, finished ninth and twelfth, respectively, at the finish line in FP2, the seven-time World Champion thinks the team might be competitive in qualifying.
When asked about how his car felt, he responded: “It’s okay, it’s not too bad.
“I think when we were all out on the similar tyres, I don’t think we’re too far off. And obviously, everyone’s having graining and people running out of tyres, but everyone was I think in a similar boat.
“Also we’re really low downforce, so you’re sliding through a lot of the low speed corners and also the high speed corners.
“You don’t have a huge amount of load because you need the straight-line speed, and then the temperatures I’m sure are having a big effect on it.”
When asked if he enjoyed driving the track in practice, Max Verstappen responded with a simple “no,” indicating that he wasn’t too fond of the circuit layout itself.
Hamilton, however, had nothing but praise for the Las Vegas Strip Circuit, comparing its enormous top speeds to those at Monza and Mexico City.
When asked what he thought of the track itself, he responded, “It’s massively challenging.”
“Despite having the long straights, there aren’t many opportunities to pass because of the low grip.
“And there’s not a lot of drag, so the tow is not that big; it’s more like Monza when you’re following other people.
“So, yes, that should be interesting. Position will undoubtedly be crucial for qualifying, and degradation will undoubtedly be crucial after that, but I had a great time.
While everyone else is having trouble with jet lag and other issues, I’m feeling fantastic. In between the breaks, I watched a movie, and I feel great and am eager to go again.
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