Lando Norris clinched pole position for the Las Vegas Grand Prix in a very tricky, rain-hit qualifying session. He mastered the wet conditions, setting a time that was over three-tenths faster than Max Verstappen, who will start second. This is Norris's third consecutive pole position, further boosting hold over the Drivers' Championship.
The heavy rain that fell before and during the session completely changed the dynamic, leading to some massive surprises. The track was very wet, forcing all drivers onto the Full Wet tyres initially and Carlos Sainz qualified third for Williams. George Russell (Mercedes) impressively topped the Q1 session.
Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) struggled severely for grip and was the slowest of the 20 cars, ending up in P20. He was caught out by the rapidly evolving conditions and a loss of pace on his final lap. Alex Albon (Williams) hit the wall at the exit of Turn 16, breaking his front-right suspension and immediately ending his session. Other eliminations in Q1 were Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull), Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) and Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber).
The track continued to remain wet in Q2, with drivers staying on the Full Wet tyres before a few tried the Intermediate. George Russell continued his brilliant performance in the wet, topping the session again. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) was on the edge, only just squeezing through into Q3 in P10.
Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) was the biggest name to miss the cut in P12, having a tricky end to the session. Also eliminated were Nico Hülkenberg (Sauber), Esteban Ocon (Haas), Ollie Bearman (Haas) and Franco Colapinto (Alpine). The final 12-minute segment saw the track improve enough for all drivers to switch to the Intermediate tyres. The lead kept changing hands between Lando Norris, Carlos Sainz, Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri.
Lando Norris ultimately set a stunning 1:47.934 lap, nearly 0.3 seconds faster than anyone else, despite a significant moment of oversteer right at the end of his lap. Oscar Piastri looked on course for a front-row start but was compromised on his final flying lap, having to take evasive action to avoid an incident involving Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls), leaving him only P5.
The top ten was a mix of teams, with the Racing Bulls showing strong wet pace, getting both Liam Lawson (P6) and Isack Hadjar (P8) into the top eight.
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