Lando Norris topped the second observe session on the Las Vegas Grand Prix after a suspected unfastened drain cowl suspended proceedings for greater than quarter-hour.
A trackside marshal between Turns 16 and 17 recognized a doubtlessly unfastened street fixture, triggering race management to droop the session as a precaution.
It got here simply as the sector switched to the smooth tire for qualifying simulation runs. Solely seven drivers, certainly one of whom was Norris, had accomplished a lap on softs, however even then most drivers had been discovering enhancements with a number of laps.
Simply over 20 minutes remained within the session, and the stoppage absorbed greater than 15 of these minutes earlier than the pit lane reopened with six minutes on the clock.
It was sufficient time for the sector to filter onto the monitor in an orderly method, and it ought to have been sufficient time for everybody to get one lap in, however the session was suspended once more for what race management described as “monitor upkeep”, successfully calling time on operating.
The FIA later confirmed the second suspension was once more as a result of an unsecured drain cowl earlier than Flip 17.
It is the second session in three years of the Las Vegas Grand Prix to be affected by unfastened street fixtures. FP1 within the race’s first-ever operating in 2023 was known as off after a unfastened water valve cowl destroyed Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari simply minutes into the session.
The twin suspensions left Norris, who had solely simply accomplished his flying lap earlier than the suspensions, unchallenged in prime spot.
Mixed with pre-session rain encouraging drivers to keep away from becoming a member of the monitor till nearly 10 minutes into the session, FP2 concluded with little or no operating forward of qualifying day.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli was simply 0.029s adrift in second, whereas Charles Leclerc slotted into third, the Ferrari driver 0.161s off the tempo.
Leclerc’s session was over even earlier than the second purple flag, nonetheless, when his gearbox gave up simply earlier than Flip 5, forcing him to park up behind the obstacles.
The highest three drivers all accomplished one soft-tire lap, as did Nico Hulkenberg, Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson from fourth to sixth.
Lance Stroll additionally accomplished a flying lap on softs, however the Canadian ended up in eleventh.
George Russell was seventh and solely 0.435s off the tempo, however he was two sectors by way of a flying lap on softs — together with a purple first sector — when the primary purple flag flew.
Alex Albon adopted forward of Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and Stroll.
Pierre Gasly was twelfth forward of Carlos Sainz, Oscar Piastri, Yuki Tsunoda, Franco Folapinto, Oliver Bearman, Fernando Alonso, Esteban Ocon and Gabriel Bortoleto, all of whom had been unable to set a lap on smooth tires owing to the purple flags.
