FP1: Leclerc heads Albon and Tsunoda in opening Las Vegas practice session

Charles Leclerc set the pace in Free Practice 1 for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, the Ferrari driver finishing ahead of Williams' Alex Albon and Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda.

Leclerc posted a 1m 34.802s which left him 0.166s clear of Albon, with Tsunoda less than three-tenths behind during a session where championship rivals Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri never featured towards the top of the times.

All 20 drivers took to the high-speed, low-downforce circuit inside the opening 10 minutes, with the cold temperatures and a dirty but dry track surface offering a challenge from the outset of the one-hour session.

Small slides from Lewis Hamilton and Ollie Bearman caught the eye early on, while Norris and Pierre Gasly had slightly more wayward moments, taking to the run-off areas briefly at Turns 7 and 12 respectively.

Leclerc and Max Verstappen proved to be the pacesetters from the outset, the Ferrari driver the first to set a sub 1m 36s lap with a 1m 35.954s on the medium Pirelli tyre after 20 minutes, before Verstappen lowered the benchmark by less than two-tenths.

Teams switched focus to running the soft compound of tyre for the second phase of the session, with Hamilton the first of the leading runners to use the red-walled tyres, registering a 1m 35.561s which was quickly beaten by team mate Leclerc.

Drivers continued to explore the limits, Piastri and Fernando Alonso the next to run wide at Turns 7 and 12 as track position proved to be at a premium at times around the 3.85-mile circuit.

Verstappen continued his duel with Leclerc for bragging rights, the four-time World Champion going fastest with a 1m 35.109s, just 0.004s clear of the Ferrari driver's latest effort before Tsunoda briefly jumped to the top with 15 minutes remaining.

Norris, who survived an early brush with the wall on the exit of Turn 9, was the next to run deep at Turn 12 twice in succession, the Drivers' Championship leader struggling for outright performance.

Leclerc became the first driver to set a sub 1m 35s lap – a 1m 34.802s – which left him fastest at the chequered flag from Albon, who had a big lock-up at the end of the session into the heavy braking zone of Turn 12.

Tsunoda headed Verstappen by less than one-tenth, as Williams' Carlos Sainz finished ahead of the McLarens of Norris and Piastri, with Isack Hadjar's Racing Bulls splitting the title rivals.

George Russell, the winner in Las Vegas 12 months ago, finished ninth ahead of Mercedes team mate Kimi Antonelli as Hamilton in 11th was seven-tenths adrift of Leclerc.

Alpine's Gasly headed the Racing Bulls of Liam Lawson and the Aston Martins of Alonso and Lance Stroll.

The Haas' of Bearman and Esteban Ocon, the Kick Sauber's of Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto, and Franco Colapinto (Alpine) completed the order in a uninterrupted session.

Drivers and teams will return to action later today in the more representative Free Practice 2 session.