Lewis Hamilton, the Silver Arrows' maestro, orchestrated a stunning performance on the inaugural day of the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The Brit, who had recently expressed doubts about continuing the season, turned the tables, topping both practice sessions and leaving his rivals, including championship leader Max Verstappen, trailing in his wake.

Verstappen, the Red Bull prodigy, had a tricky day, finishing 17th. The Dutchman, who can seal his fourth world title here this weekend, was short of extracting performance out of his car, even on one-lap pace. He insisted that this was a huge task for the team to comprehend what is wrong with them and get that pace back for the one lap.

McLaren's Lando Norris proved a dark horse in the championship battle, claiming the second-quickest time. However, the showstopper of the evening proved to be Hamilton, with prodigious pace and accuracy across the arduous Las Vegas street circuit.

Mercedes, much maligned this season for inconsistency, seem to have finally found a sweet spot in the desert, and George Russell appeared happy with his teammate Lewis Hamilton's performance as the two Brits finished third in both sessions. The team principal, Toto Wolff, acknowledged the good showing but warned not to read too much into the headlines and said the real test would be in qualifying and the race.

After the first practice session was concluded, it all looked set for a thrilling weekend of Formula 1 action. With Hamilton rebuilding his form and Verstappen struggling, there's real fresh excitement in the championship battle. Can Hamilton carry his momentum into the weekend and challenge Verstappen, or will the Red Bull ace bounce back and secure his fourth title?