Las Vegas GP: Norris grabs pole in a wet quali as Leclerc spin compromises Piastri

Championship leader Lando Norris will start the Las Vegas Grand Prix from pole position, having beaten Max Verstappen by three-tenths in a tricky wet qualiyfing session.

His main title rival, Oscar Piastri, finished down in fifth place with his final lap compromised by a spin from Charles Leclerc.

Lewis Hamilton eliminated in Q1 in Las Vegas

The forecast rain chucked down in the build-up to qualifying, the drivers left the pits for Q1 on a mix of wet or intermediate tyres, the latter being called in to swap to full wets. However, even Fernando Alonso on the full wets was struggling as he was 30 seconds down on the times from FP3.

Oscar Piastri complained about grip, while it was clear that visibility was also almost non-existent.

With 10 minutes to go in P1, Pierre Gasly was quickest ahead of Oliver Bearman and Lance Stroll, while several drivers lost time for exceeding track limits. Carlos Sainz was noted for leaving the track and rejoining unsafely but he went P1 with a 1:55.6.

As the conditions improved as the drivers laid down more and more laps, Max Verstappen went quickest, then Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri and Lance Stroll.

Bearman’s session ended with his Haas’ front wing in an escape road barrier while Alex Albon hit the wall and limped back to the pits in a spray of rain and sparks as his wing dragged along the ground.

The session ended with George Russell quickest ahead of Alonso, Stroll, Gasly and Piastri.

The drivers eliminated were: Albon, Kimi Antonelli, Gabriel Bortoleto, Yuki Tsunoda and Hamilton.

F1 2025: The season’s winners and losers

👉 The results of the F1 2025 championship

👉 The updated Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championship standings

Lance Stoll’s intermediate gamble doesn’t pay off

Q2 got off to a delayed start with Race Control announcing ‘we are replacing the bollard at the apex of T14 and clearing debris on track.’

Underway, the drivers left the pits for the 15-minute session on the full wets. Although it had stopped rain, it was still very wet with the track temperature just 13’C.

Lando Norris set the early pace with a 1:53.3 before Verstappen hit the front ahead of Stroll. Despite sitting P1, the Aston Martin driver pitted for intermediate tyres – the first driver to take that gamble – and dropped positions as his rivals had better grip.

While the Canadian plummeted into the drop zone, Sainz went quickest ahead of Verstappen before Russell finished the session up in P1 with a 1:50.935.

Stroll finished down in 12th, eliminated along with Nico Hulkenberg, Esteban Ocon, Bearman and Franco Colapinto.

Lando Norris puts his MCL39 on pole in Las Vegas

Track conditions improved into Q3 with all 10 drivers heading out on the intermediate Pirelli tyres. Isack Hadjar and Sainz led the early running but dropped down the order as Piastri and Norris went 1-2 before they were split by Sainz with Liam Lawson relegating Norris to fourth

As the drivers stayed out to lay down the laps, Sainz regained P1 but was dropped by Norris with a 1:47.934s, 0.323s ahead of Verstappen with Sainz in third.

Russell was fourth ahead of Piastri, who was caught out by a spin from Leclerc at turn 12 that left the Ferrari driver down in ninth place.

Las Vegas Grand Prix, Qualifying results

1 Lando Norris McLaren 1:47.934
2 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.323
3 Carlos Sainz Williams +0.362
4 George Russell Mercedes +0.869
5 Oscar Piastri McLaren +1.027
6 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls +1.128
7 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +1.532
8 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +1.620
9 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +1.938
10 Pierre Gasly Alpine +3.606
11 Nico Hulkenberg Kick Sauber
12 Lance StrollAston Martin
13 Esteban Ocon Haas F1 Team
14 Oliver Bearman Haas F1 Team
15 Franco Colapinto Alpine
16 Alexander Albon Williams
17 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes
18 Gabriel Bortoleto Kick Sauber
19 Yuki TsunodaRed Bull Racing
20 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari

Read next: Revealed: The truth behind Oscar Piastri’s mystery social media post