George Russell has secured pole position for the Las Vegas Grand Prix following an intense qualifying session. The British driver achieved a remarkable lap time of 1m32.312s, edging out Carlos Sainz, who had initially held the top spot before Russell’s final run.
Earlier in the qualifying session, Russell led the pack with a lap time of 1m32.811s, as prominent figures like Lewis Hamilton faced challenges—Hamilton had to abandon his lap due to an off-track incident at Turn 14. In the subsequent rounds, Russell’s lead was put to the test; Charles Leclerc recorded a time of 1m32.783s, moving ahead of Russell. However, Carlos Sainz topped the session briefly before Russell made an impressive comeback to clinch pole position.
Pierre Gasly delivered a standout performance as well, securing third place on the grid and successfully splitting the two Ferrari drivers. Meanwhile, reigning champion Max Verstappen, who is on the cusp of securing his title, qualified fifth, just ahead of his competitor Lando Norris.
Yuki Tsunoda and Oscar Piastri took the seventh and eighth positions, respectively, while Nico Hulkenberg rounded out the top ten despite being 0.750 seconds behind Russell’s fastest lap. Hamilton, who struggled to set a competitive time, finished in tenth place after having his second lap time deleted due to going off course at Turn 4.
The session had a dramatic turn when Franco Colapinto crashed on the exit of Turn 16, damaging his Williams and bringing a halt to Q2, although the majority of the drivers had completed their runs before the incident. The crash added to the team’s repair challenges and had ramifications throughout the grid.
In addition, Sergio Perez found himself eliminated in Q1, finishing 16th amid a lack of grip in his Red Bull car. Neither of the Aston Martin drivers advanced from Q1, with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll finishing in 17th and 18th respectively, Stroll’s car suffering from a power unit issue earlier in the session. Alex Albon and Valtteri Bottas also failed to progress, with Bottas starting in the last position due to a grid penalty.
This qualifying session sets the stage for a thrilling race in Las Vegas, with Russell aiming for victory and Verstappen looking to secure his championship.
Summary: George Russell achieved pole position for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, overcoming strong competition from Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc. Max Verstappen and Lando Norris qualified fifth and sixth, respectively, while Sergio Perez and both Aston Martin drivers faced early exits in Q1. The race is anticipated to be exciting as Russell seeks victory and Verstappen aims to clinch his title.
This promising outcome can drive excitement through the upcoming race, with the potential for surprises on the course.