Friday night in Las Vegas delivered one of the most dramatic qualifying sessions of the season as rain transformed the high-speed street circuit into a treacherous challenge. From George Russell’s FP3 dominance to Lando Norris’s masterful wet-weather pole position, day two showcased why the Las Vegas Grand Prix has become a modern classic. What unfolded during the final practice and qualifying sessions? Let us here at Supercars.com.GH explain!
FP3
George Russell topped a chaotic FP3 with a 1:34.054 as mixed conditions caught out multiple drivers, while both McLarens finished at the bottom of the timesheets after experiencing technical issues. The Mercedes driver’s commanding performance came after teams navigated tricky tire strategy decisions.
Oscar Piastri led the early running on intermediates as the track remained damp from earlier rainfall, with Alex Albon heading into the Turn 5 run-off as drivers explored the low-grip conditions. Lando Norris became the first to gamble on slick tires, though Pete Bonnington initially commented the soft compound looked “a million miles off.”
Lewis Hamilton topped the times briefly before Russell’s late surge, with the seven-time champion narrowly avoiding rear-ending Liam Lawson at Turn 14 in an incident Race Control noted before deciding no investigation was needed. Max Verstappen finished second, 0.227s behind Russell, while voicing frustrations about traffic.
Both McLarens suffered disastrous sessions finishing 19th and 20th after technical issues prevented clean laps in the final stages, raising serious concerns ahead of qualifying. The dramatic reversal from their strong FP2 showing highlighted the unpredictable nature of the Las Vegas street circuit.
Qualifying
Norris delivered a masterclass wet-weather performance to claim his third consecutive pole position with a 1:47.934, finishing nearly three-tenths ahead of Max Verstappen in treacherous conditions that lasted throughout qualifying. The championship leader nearly crashed at Turn 16 but held on brilliantly.
George Russell dominated Q1 and Q2 by setting fastest times in both sessions, mastering the worst conditions with lap times more than 19 seconds slower than his FP3 benchmark. The Mercedes driver finished fourth overall, unable to match the pace when conditions improved slightly for Q3.
Lewis Hamilton suffered a nightmare Q1 elimination finishing last, complaining he “couldn’t get the tyres to work” as he finished nearly four seconds behind Russell. The seven-time champion’s exit marked a shocking end to Ferrari’s qualifying hopes.
Alex Albon crashed heavily on Turn 16’s exit in Q1, breaking his Williams’ front-right suspension and ending his session prematurely. The Thai-British driver’s elimination came alongside Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, Gabriel Bortoleto, and Yuki Tsunoda.
Oscar Piastri could only manage fifth after being held up by yellow flags and running deep at Turn 12 while appearing to go wheel-to-wheel with Isack Hadjar. The championship challenger’s struggles handed crucial advantage to Norris ahead of Sunday’s race.
Can Norris convert his brilliant pole position into victory under the Vegas lights? Join Supercars.com.GH tomorrow to find out!