The F1 data that highlights the close Las Vegas fight

Practice in Las Vegas was a difficult affair for the teams as the cold temperatures provided an added challenge for the drivers on the track.

It was Mercedes who lit up the timesheets as Lewis Hamilton topped both practice sessions with team-mate George Russell in close pursuit.

For Max Verstappen and Red Bull, it was a different story. Verstappen was one second down on Hamilton in FP1 and no soft tyre run in the second session left the reigning world champion down in 17th place.

One silver lining that might befall any driver who endures a difficult qualifying is the numerous overtaking opportunities during the race.

However, Red Bull was disadvantaged on Thursday night by an oversized rear wing which resulted in a loss of roughly six-tenths along the straights.

While qualifying form is up in the air, a better picture can be painted using information from the long runs.

On this side of the equation, things look more positive for Verstappen in direct comparison to his direct rivals.

Norris also starts strong, but called his own long runs "shocking”, partly because of the graining of the tyres. In his own words, the Brit can't cope well with that as he admitted it as a weakness behind the wheel.

Leclerc, who was buoyant over his long run pace after the evening's events, posted strong lap times while acknowledging Ferrari needed to work on its one-lap performance. 

Mercedes backed up its impressive qualifying pace with high fuel levels on board - however, the Briton is wary of the potential for other teams to turn up the wick as the weekend progresses. 

With cool temperatures predicted for the remainder of the weekend, the tyres will not be prone to overheating, something that is a common issue at various other tracks.

Instead, the teams will have to treat them differently - but as is the case with the complex Pirelli rubber, it will be an instrumental factor in the outcome of the race.

See the long-run data of the key F1 players below!