Mercedes sets the pace in Las Vegas, but can their practice dominance translate into pole position amid fierce competition?
As qualifying begins for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, one thing is clear: the Mercedes F1 team appears to be the favorite for pole position. Lewis Hamilton dominated both Friday sessions, and George Russell topped the timesheets in FP3.
However, as seen several times this season, free practice results don’t always translate into qualifying performance. The gaps between Mercedes and rival teams remain tight.
Ferrari and McLaren have also shown promise, particularly McLaren, which frequently appeared in the top three. On paper, Ferrari’s car is capable of strong performances on this circuit. And, of course, Max Verstappen cannot be discounted. After two challenging sessions, he clawed his way back into the top five during FP3.
The battle for a spot in Q3 will be intense, with Haas and Alpine showing strong pace during practice. Both teams are vying for sixth place in the constructors’ standings. Valtteri Bottas faces a five-place grid penalty, while Stake F1 has brought a package of upgrades for the weekend.
6:57 AM: Air temperature is 12°C, and the track is 14°C—warmer than yesterday. Conditions are expected to improve further tomorrow, with no rain forecast for the remainder of the weekend.
Q1 – 18 Minutes
Aston Martin F1 has confirmed that Lance Stroll’s stoppage during FP3 was due to an ERS issue. The team is working to replace the system on his AMR24 to ensure the Canadian can participate in Q1.
Russell Reports Brake Smoke as Times Begin to Drop
George Russell noted some light smoke from one of his front brakes, a common occurrence during warm-up phases. Guanyu Zhou set the initial benchmark, only to be overtaken by Pierre Gasly with a time of 1:34.509. The RB F1 drivers slotted in behind him, alongside Esteban Ocon.
Fernando Alonso moved into second place, while Sergio Pérez claimed fourth behind Yuki Tsunoda. Oscar Piastri completed his lap with a 1:34.058, with Lando Norris trailing just 0.030 seconds behind. Lewis Hamilton provisionally placed third.
Russell climbed to fourth, with Max Verstappen in fifth, less than three-tenths off the fastest lap. Liam Lawson improved to slot ahead of Yuki Tsunoda, while Alex Albon moved into sixth.
Charles Leclerc outpaced his rivals, setting the fastest time at 1:33.966. Tsunoda improved to fifth, while Piastri regained the top spot with a 1:33.450. Norris closely followed, just 0.142 seconds behind his teammate.
Leclerc offered Carlos Sainz a tow down the Strip, enabling the Spaniard to secure second place. Verstappen also improved, moving up to fourth. Hamilton bettered Leclerc’s effort to take sixth, while Russell surged ahead with a 1:33.363. Leclerc reclaimed second place.
With four minutes remaining, neither Haas driver had completed a flying lap, though both were on track. Lance Stroll, delayed by his ERS issue, finally emerged from the garage with under three minutes left in the session!
Gasly and Magnussen in Top Ten, Verstappen Tops Early Before Mercedes Dominates
Pierre Gasly secured eighth place, with Kevin Magnussen following in ninth. Esteban Ocon took tenth, and Guanyu Zhou climbed to 11th with the updated Stake car. Max Verstappen briefly claimed the top spot with a 1:33.299, while Nico Hülkenberg moved into ninth.
Sergio Pérez improved but could only manage 12th. Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time at 1:33.225, but George Russell eclipsed him with a 1:33.186, underlining Mercedes’ dominance. Gasly remained eighth, and Franco Colapinto took ninth.
Ocon improved to 11th, Liam Lawson secured 14th, and Yuki Tsunoda moved into tenth. Alex Albon’s time was deleted, dropping him to 18th, while Lance Stroll managed no better than 20th. Pérez failed to advance from Q1, with Verstappen finishing third.
Eliminated from Q1: Pérez, Alonso, Albon, Bottas, and Stroll.
Q2 – 15 Minutes
Russell set the initial benchmark with a 1:33.585, only to be beaten by Nico Hülkenberg’s 1:33.273. Hamilton quickly responded with a 1:33.136, while Colapinto placed fourth ahead of Zhou. Verstappen completed two warm-up laps on soft tires.
Lando Norris slotted into second, but Verstappen improved to edge ahead of the Briton, sitting just behind Hamilton. Oscar Piastri posted an impressive lap to slot behind Hamilton, missing the seven-time champion’s time by just one-thousandth of a second. Magnussen climbed to sixth, just behind his teammate, with Tsunoda slipping between the Haas cars.
Verstappen improved again to take the lead with a 1:33.085, but Russell responded with a blistering 1:32.881. Hamilton also improved, closing to within 0.084 seconds of his teammate. Carlos Sainz moved into fifth, while Charles Leclerc jumped to third.
Piastri Climbs to Fourth as Mercedes Continue to Lead, Colapinto Crash Halts Q2
Oscar Piastri moved up to fourth, with George Russell improving the fastest time to 1:32.679, only to be surpassed by Lewis Hamilton at 1:32.567. Nico Hülkenberg climbed to seventh, while Kevin Magnussen took ninth. Carlos Sainz positioned himself between the two Mercedes drivers.
Guanyu Zhou secured 11th, while Liam Lawson aborted his lap attempt and returned to the pits. However, Q2 was red-flagged after Franco Colapinto crashed his FW46 on the straight leading to the final corner.
Colapinto is unharmed, but his car is heavily damaged—an added blow to a team already facing $3 million in repair costs after the Brazil incident.
The track is littered with debris, likely delaying the start of Q3. The medical car was deployed due to the severity of the impact, but fortunately, the Argentinian driver is uninjured.
Eliminated from Q2: Ocon, Magnussen, Zhou, Colapinto, and Lawson.
8:00 AM: The damaged Williams is brought back to the garage while track marshals realign the barrier, which shifted several meters from the impact.
8:07 AM: Q3 will restart at 8:09 AM!
Q3 – 12 minutes
Verstappen was the first to attack the clock, but the Dutchman continued warming up his tires during his flying lap, easing off after the first sector to keep building temperature.
Piastri completed his effort with a time of 1’33″520. Norris improved to 1’33″237, while Leclerc crossed the line with 1’33″797. Sainz outpaced them all with a 1’33″022. Tsunoda provisionally took sixth.
Gasly set the fourth-fastest time, and Hülkenberg placed fifth. Verstappen finished his first quick lap, securing second, just under two-tenths behind Sainz. Russell claimed the top spot with 1’32″811, while Hamilton made a mistake on his flying lap.
Despite his fastest time, Russell explains that he wants to be among the last to go out for the second run, as the track is improving. The McLaren and Ferrari drivers returned to the track with 4 minutes 30 seconds remaining. Enough time for two preparation laps?
It unfolded as expected, with all drivers launching into a flying lap with just over a minute remaining. The McLaren and Ferrari drivers improved their respective sectors but couldn’t challenge Russell. Hamilton made another mistake.
Piastri set the third-fastest time, and Norris improved to climb into second place, less than two-tenths behind Russell. Leclerc eventually outpaced Russell with a 1’32.783 lap! Hamilton couldn’t do better than tenth.
Sainz delivered a stunning 1’32.410, and Gasly took second! Verstappen placed fourth, but Russell silenced everyone by clinching pole position with a 1’32.312 lap!
The Briton will share the front row with Sainz, while Gasly starts third and Leclerc fourth. Verstappen and Norris will line up on the third row ahead of Tsunoda and Piastri, with Hülkenberg and Hamilton rounding out the top ten.
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | George Russell | Mercedes W15 | 1:33.196 | 1:32.779 | 1:32.312 |
| 02 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari SF-24 | 1:33.484 | 1:32.711 | 1:32.410 |
| 03 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault A524 | 1:33.691 | 1:32.879 | 1:32.664 |
| 04 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari SF-24 | 1:33.446 | 1:33.016 | 1:32.783 |
| 05 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Honda RBPT RB20 | 1:33.299 | 1:33.085 | 1:32.797 |
| 06 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes MCL38 | 1:33.592 | 1:33.099 | 1:33.008 |
| 07 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB Honda RBPT VCARB 01 | 1:33.789 | 1:33.089 | 1:33.029 |
| 08 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes MCL38 | 1:33.450 | 1:33.024 | 1:33.033 |
| 09 | Nico Hülkenberg | Haas Ferrari VF-24 | 1:33.920 | 1:33.114 | 1:33.062 |
| 10 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes W15 | 1:33.225 | 1:32.567 | 1:48.106 |
| — | —————- | ————— | ———- | ———- | ———- |
| 11 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault A524 | 1:33.968 | 1:33.221 | |
| 12Kevin Magnussen | Haas Ferrari VF-24 | 1:33.991 | 1:33.297 | ||
| 13 | Guanyu Zhou | Stake F1 Kick Sauber C44 | 1:34.079 | 1:33.566 | |
| 14 | Franco Colapinto | Williams Mercedes FW46 | 1:33.746 | 1:33.749 | |
| 15 | Liam Lawson | RB Honda RBPT VCARB 01 | 1:34.087 | 1:34.257 | |
| — | —————- | ————— | ———- | ———- | ———- |
| 16 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull Honda RBPT RB20 | 1:34.155 | ||
| 17 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR24 | 1:34.258 | ||
| 18 | Alex Albon | Williams Mercedes FW46 | 1:34.425 | ||
| 19 | Valtteri Bottas | Stake F1 Kick Sauber C44 | 1:34.430 | ||
| 20 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR24 | 1:34.484 |
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F1 Qualifying: Mercedes Leads Charge in Vegas Battle F1 Qualifying: Mercedes Leads Charge in Vegas Battle F1 Qualifying: Mercedes Leads Charge in Vegas Battle
