Lando Norris claimed pole position for the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, holding his nerve in a dramatic, rain-hit qualifying session.
The McLaren driver produced a calm and measured performance in the tricky conditions on the Las Vegas Strip Circuit to claim top spot by three tenths from Max Verstappen.
Carlos Sainz produced a stunning performance to take third, with Oscar Piastri down in fifth.
For Norris, it cemented his title credentials ahead of race day, but the threat of further rain will ensure that nothing is guaranteed in Sin City.
The intermittent weather falling across Las Vegas throughout the day ramped up after the F1 Academy race, giving drivers the task of tiptoeing out for their early runs.
Fernando Alonso was the first man to go out, one of just five drivers who opted to go out on full Wet tyres, as opposed to everyone else who went out on Intermediates.
Norris questioned whether a full Wet for himself may be the way to go, but quickly complained of acquaplaining, as he and many others skipped the apex at Turn 14, taking to the run-off.
Alonso went quickest, with Lance Stroll going faster by almost seven tenths of a second, as the rain, forecast to stop just before the end of Q1, intensified.
The spray worsening, drivers continued to miss Turn 14, as Pierre Gasly went fastest, breaking through the two minute barrier of lap times.
Esteban Ocon then went fastest, as several drivers began to have laps deleted for limit infringements.
Norris, stamping on the brakes to avoid a slowing Lewis Hamilton, went second, half a second down on Ocon, as Stroll went fastest again, by almost a whole second.
But immediately he was dethroned by Piastri and Sainz, his lap six tenths quicker than the McLaren.
It was not apparent that the battle for pole was going to be somewhat of a lottery as the rain was proving to be a great leveller.
Alonso went second, with Andrea Kimi Antonelli jumping from the danger zone to fifth, as Verstappen then went top by two tenths.
Charles Leclerc was now sailing very close to the wind, but then went fastest, but then in the blink of an eye, Verstappen went fastest, and then Stroll went fastest again.
Oliver Bearman, proving the ice rink-like track surface, skated down the run-off area at Turn 14, unable to brake and delicately nudging the barrier up ahead of him.
With just a few seconds left on the clock, Alex Albon punted the wall at Turn, smashing up his front-left suspension. Already in the danger zone, the Anglo-Thai driver’s day was confirmed as over as his Williams struggled back to the pits.
More last-gasp laps kept coming, but not one for Hamilton, who was rooted to the bottom of the pack. He, Yuki Tsunoda, Gabriel Bortoleto and Antonelli joined Albon out of the running.
Hamilton’s bid to escape elimination was thwarted by collecting a bollard under his Ferrari at Turn 14 on his penultimate lap, contributing to the decision to abandon his final run.
Russell ended up top, with Verstappen second and Alonso leading the two Astons in third and fourth. Leclerc could think himself lucky for being through, as his engine switched off after skidding through Turns 15 and 16, almost nudging the wall.
Russell ends Q2 top
The start of Q2 was delayed by the clearing of debris from the track, as well as replacing the cone Hamilton made off with, as rain began to stop, but the track still abundantly damp.
Russell was out first, but his first time was bested by Norris, who went quickest by one-and-a-half tenths. Verstappen went fifth, as Norris continued to use his wet-weather nous in third spot.
The Canadian went quickest, topping Norris’ time by four tenths, but Verstappen went fastest on his next run, by a tenth and a half.
Sainz, who was under investigation for an unsafe track re-entry in Q1, went second, as Piastri then went fastest.
Then it was Lawson’s turn to go fastest, by half a second from Piastri, as Russell was precariously close to the elimination zone in ninth, just behind Leclerc in eighth.
All drivers were now on full Wets, as Hadjar went fastest by eight hundredths, leading a Racing Bulls 1-2, the pair having been in the danger zone just a few moments before.
Verstappen then went fastest by four tenths, as Ocon went into the top 10 to push Russell into 11th, who was on another run.
Sainz then went top by seven hundredths, as Russell went third, with Leclerc now 12th. He quickly found pace to go sixth, with Norris now in danger, sat in eighth, with Stroll now 11th.
Piastri was now in ninth and unable to better his time, as Norris found a tenth and a half to go top. With less than a minute to go, Nico Hulkenberg was now in the top 10, as Verstappen went wide at Turn 14 on his final run, but safe in third.
Russell, in the final seconds, went fastest by four tenths, with Sainz going second, but was quickly displaced by Hadjar. Gasly went seventh to knock Hulkenberg out, the German being joined by Stroll, Ocon, Bearman and Franco Colapinto.
Qualifying lottery ends with Norris storming to pole
Q3 began with drivers opting to take a Vegas-style roll of the dice with Intermediates, and it was Leclerc who set the early pace, but Hadjar was next to find more grip and more speed, taking seven tenths out of the Monegasque.
It was then Sainz who went quickest, this time by half a second.
Piastri went fastest next, with Verstappen managing only fifth on his next run, with Norris third behind Sainz.
Lawson bumped Norris down to fourth, as Verstappen went second, just eight hundredths shy of Piastri’s time.
Norris then produced a tidy and fast lap to go top by seven tenths, with Piastri only able to take two tenths out of that gap on his next run to remain second.
Lawson popped up into third, as the final flurry of action took place.
Sainz went quickest as the chequered flag fell, but before he could celebrate, Verstappen went into provisional pole by four hundredths.
Norris still had one more run and needed to make it count. And make it count he did.
Despite sliding his way through 14, 15 and 16, the McLaren powered to the line to take pole by three tenths from Verstappen, with Sainz a still brilliant third.
Russell’s last lap saw him claim fourth ahead of Piastri in fifth, with Lawson sixth, Alonso seventh, Hadjar eighth, Leclerc ninth and Gasly 10th.
For Norris, it was another monumental chance to solidify his title lead on race day, lining up four places ahead of his team-mate.
READ MORE – F1 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix – Qualifying Results
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