Las Vegas (AFP) – George Russell of Mercedes took pole position for the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Friday while title-chasing Max Verstappen was fifth as the Dutchman closes in on a fourth successive world championship. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was second ahead of Pierre Gasly of Alpine, with Red Bull’s Verstappen finishing one spot ahead of title rival Lando Norris of McLaren, who was sixth. Verstappen, who won the Las Vegas race in 2023, leads Norris by 62 points with three races remaining and needs simply to finish ahead of him on Saturday night to become only the sixth man to win four world titles. Norris has to beat Verstappen by three points to keep his slim championship hopes alive.
“At least we are ahead of the McLarens. I didn’t expect that so it’s good,” said Verstappen, hampered by Red Bull’s error in bringing the wrong rear wing to Las Vegas. “We’re just a bit too slow. We have been struggling to get the tyres to work over a lap, and we’re too slow on the straights.” Charles Leclerc, in the second Ferrari, was fourth fastest in qualifying and will share the second row with Gasly, whose impressive performance on the Las Vegas street circuit followed a shock third-place finish in Brazil last time out. Yuki Tsunoda of RB was seventh, with Oscar Piastri in the second McLaren, Nico Hulkenberg in a Haas, and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes completing the top 10.
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Russell clocked a best lap in one minute and 32.312 seconds to outpace Sainz by 0.098 seconds for his third pole this year and the fourth of his career. “It feels incredible to be back on pole,” said Russell, who clipped a wall in the third and final qualifying run. “I had a bit of a moment on my first run, and we had to change the front wing, so for a while I didn’t think we were going to make the flag, but I am just so happy.” Norris felt the “top four was out of reach” for him. “But I will keep going to the end and will do my best in every race whether I am fighting for the championship or not.”
On a cool night in America’s gambling capital, with a track temperature of 13 degrees Celsius, it was Gasly who set the pace as the rest slithered in early pursuit. Having been quickest in the earlier final free practice, Russell topped Q1 ahead of Hamilton. Unfortunately for Red Bull, Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez’s miserable season continued as he was eliminated along with Aston Martin’s two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, Williams’ Alex Albon, Valtteri Bottas of Sauber, and Lance Stroll in the second Aston Martin. Hamilton set the Q2 pace in 1:33.136. After his dismal outing in Brazil, where he finished 10th in the rain, this was evidence of a revitalized Hamilton ahead of a move to Ferrari next year.
Verstappen briefly went top with an edgy lap before Mercedes responded with Russell taking control as both he and Hamilton delivered improved laps, Russell clocking 1:32.881. At this stage, Verstappen was showing enough pace to stay ahead of Norris before the Q2 segment ended with a yellow flag as Franco Colapinto hit the wall at the penultimate corner in his Williams, climbing out of the wreckage unhurt. It was his second consecutive crash in qualifying and left the team with a big repair and rebuild job – the British team’s sixth in three Grands Prix. The Argentine driver was already heading for a Q2 exit in 14th place along with RB’s Liam Lawson, Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu, Kevin Magnussen of Haas, and Alpine’s Esteban Ocon.
Hamilton topped Q2 to lead the way into the top ten shootout with a best lap in 1:32.567 ahead of Sainz and Russell. The Q3 action resumed after a 25-minute delay for repairs, with Verstappen leading the way, followed by both McLarens, before Russell clocked an early marker in 1:32.811 ahead of Sainz while Hamilton locked up and aborted his first lap.
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