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Lando Norris mastered the treacherous wet conditions under the Las Vegas lights to take a crucial pole position for McLaren, strengthening his grip on the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship fight. The Briton’s 1:47.934 lap was 0.323s clear of Max Verstappen, with Carlos Sainz delivering a standout performance to put his Williams third. George Russell will start fourth for Mercedes, while Norris’s title rival Oscar Piastri could only manage fifth after a disrupted final run.
The session began on a soaked Las Vegas Strip Circuit, with a mix of full wets and intermediates as teams gambled on tyre choice. Aston Martin and Kick Sauber opted for full wets, while most others started on inters. Grip was scarce, aquaplaning was common, and yellow flags were frequent.
Lewis Hamilton, a proven wet-weather specialist, suffered a shock exit in P20 after struggling with grip and possibly carrying debris under the car. He was joined by Alex Albon, Kimi Antonelli, Gabriel Bortoleto, and Yuki Tsunoda in the drop zone. Ollie Bearman clipped the barriers but continued, while Albon’s contact with the wall ended his hopes.
Eliminated in Q1: Albon, Antonelli, Bortoleto, Tsunoda, Hamilton.
With the rain easing but the track still wet, most drivers stayed on wets. Lance Stroll rolled the dice on intermediates, hoping for three push laps, but the gamble backfired. Pierre Gasly scraped through to Q3 at Hulkenberg’s expense, while Esteban Ocon, Bearman, and Franco Colapinto also fell short.
Carlos Sainz impressed again, topping the times ahead of Verstappen, while Piastri only just survived in P10.
Eliminated in Q2: Hulkenberg, Stroll, Ocon, Bearman, Colapinto.
The final segment saw all drivers on intermediates as the track improved rapidly. Early laps shuffled the order, with Sainz briefly on provisional pole before Verstappen edged ahead by 0.039s. Norris, however, was on a charge, going purple in the first two sectors and crossing the line with a lap that no one could match.
Piastri’s final attempt was compromised, either by a mistake or yellow flags from Leclerc running wide. The Australian ended up fifth, behind Russell in fourth. Liam Lawson continued his strong weekend with sixth, ahead of Fernando Alonso, Isack Hadjar, Charles Leclerc, and Pierre Gasly.
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Norris’s pole is a significant blow to Piastri’s title hopes. Starting fifth, the Australian faces two fast cars – Verstappen and Russell – plus the in-form Sainz between himself and his teammate. With Norris already 24 points ahead, a strong race result could put him within touching distance of his maiden championship.
Verstappen’s front-row start is a major threat to McLaren’s plans. The Red Bull has been formidable at low-downforce venues, and if Sunday’s race is dry, the Dutchman could challenge Norris into Turn 1.
Sainz’s third place is arguably the performance of the day. Williams expected to be competitive here, but in mixed conditions, the Spaniard’s rallying pedigree shone through. He could be a wildcard in the fight for victory.
The 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix grid promises drama. Norris has the upper hand, but Verstappen and Sainz are poised to challenge. Piastri’s task is steep, and with a mixed-up order behind, Sunday night could deliver one of the season’s most pivotal races.
Lights out is at 20:00 local time (04:00 UTC) – and with the championship on the line, the Strip is set for a showdown.
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.