🔗 Share this article

McLaren's Lando Norris delivered a stunning performance in difficult rainy weather on the Nevada street circuit, claiming pole position for the forthcoming race and taking a important step toward his first F1 world championship.

Championship Battle Heats Up as Norris Increases Advantage

The title race leader outperformed Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who took second place, while his closest rival—fellow driver Oscar Piastri—ended up in fifth position, offering the McLaren driver a prime opportunity to widen his points gap in the championship.

Williams' Carlos Sainz claimed third, with George Russell ending up in fourth.

Lewis Hamilton Suffers Dismal Session in Vegas

Lewis Hamilton had a very poor qualifying, ending up last after failing to get the tires to work in the wet conditions during Q1 and being unlucky with a last-minute yellow flag.

The Ferrari has had problems warming up tyres in wet conditions all season, but Hamilton's teammate fared more successfully, finishing in ninth and recording a time three seconds faster than his teammate in the opening qualifying segment.

"The full-wet tyre was terrible," the driver stated. "Visibility was zero. I think I hit the wall at one point. I just couldn't even see the corners."

After showing impressive speed in the final practice session, he was hugely disappointing once more in what has been a challenging debut year with the Italian team.

"Today was amazing," Hamilton commented. "I missed my final lap opportunity. I thought we had the pace and then I ended up last. This year is definitely the hardest year."

Lando Norris Executes When It Counted

For Norris, as he aims to claim his maiden Formula One championship, he did exactly what was required by not only securing the top spot but also importantly out-qualifying his teammate on a track where the team had anticipated to struggle.

Norris currently is ahead of the Australian by twenty-four points and Verstappen by 49 points. As things stand, ending up in front of his teammate in the last three races would be enough to secure the title.

Indeed, if Norris can increase his advantage to twenty-six points by the end of the upcoming race in the UAE, it would be enough to win the championship there.

Impressive Form Continues for McLaren

He remains firmly on a roll, finding his rhythm with the vehicle at a crucial juncture in the championship, just as his teammate has struggled.

Norris was 34 points behind his teammate after the Grand Prix in the Netherlands in August, but from that point he has returned repeatedly top finishes, including pole position and wins in the previous two events in Mexico and Brazil—enough to turn the championship battle in his favor.

McLaren Defies Predictions in Vegas

Norris and McLaren had downplayed their prospects for the event in Las Vegas, on a circuit that is not ideal for their vehicle due to slippery surface and cool temperatures, and the squad had not finished above sixth in the last two races here.

Yet, they showed excellent form in the qualifying session in the wet this time.

Difficult Weather Test Competitors

The sessions opened in continuous rain, which turned what is inherently a slippery surface in cold weather an major challenge, marking the first time qualifying has been held in the rain in Vegas and necessitating the use of full-wet rubber.

In fact, on his initial forays, Norris voiced his concern as he ran off track. "Aqua-planing," he remarked. "I can't keep it on the track."

Session Unfolds with Excitement

However, as the rain subsided, the circuit began to dry quickly on the racing line and the times dropped.

Still, the differences were narrow, as Alex Albon found out when he was caught out on his final lap in Q1, hitting the wall and causing damage that ended his session in 16th.

The rain ceased, but the track was remained difficult to manage for the remainder of the qualifying, and with wet rubber still being used, the drivers remained on track and kept putting in times as the drying path improved and the laptimes dropped.

Last laps were crucial, with the Australian barely advancing to Q2 in 10th place.

Thrilling Finale to Qualifying

For Q3, the teams changed to intermediate tyres, again continuing to stay out and completing circuits, making strategy essential for a final lap showdown.

The lead switched multiple times as the clock wound down, with the McLaren driver posting a preliminary time with his nose in front before the very last flying laps.

Verstappen then grabbed the top spot as he finished his last run, but following him, Norris was on a push and, even with a big wobble through turns 14, 15 and 16, had already done sufficient for a mighty pole position with a time of 1min 47.934secs.

He soon with a yellow flag in his wake as Leclerc ran off and Oscar Piastri also had to take avoidance measures to steer clear of another driver.