The pole position claimed by Lando Norris at the end of Las Vegas qualifying carries enormous significance. While expected, the rain completely reshaped the scenario on the ‘Strip Circuit,’ a typical city street asphalt with poor drainage. The rain that fell until the start of the session pooled in many sections of the track, forcing drivers to use extreme full-wet tires. Only in Q3 did the drivers switch to intermediates, but the main issue remained the lack of grip. Many drivers described the conditions as the worst they had ever driven in. “I only remember something similar in Turkey in 2020,” noted George Russell.
The drivers were pushed to their limits, with braking and acceleration references constantly changing throughout the session, testing their nerves. A minor mistake would have meant a collision with the barriers, as happened to Alexander Albon. The only place where missing the braking point did not pose a risk, aside from losing the lap, was at Turn 14. Out of an extremely challenging scenario, Norris emerged, arriving in Las Vegas expecting to play defensively due to his car’s characteristics. While pole position doesn’t award points, this was a major demonstration of strength, arguably his clearest performance of 2025.
Lando was surprised when his engineer informed him he was on pole. “I made a mistake exiting Turn 14, I didn’t think I had the fastest lap,” he said. Yet none of the twenty drivers on track could claim a perfect lap in such conditions. Norris made fewer mistakes than anyone, performing flawlessly in sectors one and two, where he was the absolute fastest. Only after returning to the pits did Lando realize the significance of his pole, flashing a long-awaited smile.
The only driver who could have challenged Norris was Max Verstappen. His car took time to bring the tires up to temperature, but once optimal, Max tried to strike. Unfortunately, his timing exiting the pits wasn’t perfect, and Verstappen found himself in traffic multiple times, failing to launch a final lap. “In these conditions, the fastest laps always come on the last attempt, when the track is at its best. We missed the last lap, and probably the tire cooling procedures didn’t work perfectly. If Max had a final attempt, I think he could have challenged Lando’s time,” confirmed Helmut Marko.
If Red Bull has reasons to complain, other teams faced far worse situations. Mercedes, for example, had Kimi Antonelli eliminated in Q1 and George Russell only fourth, a disappointing result given expectations. After being fastest in Q1 and Q2, George was a favorite for pole, but something went wrong at the crucial moment. “In Q3 I had a steering problem,” he explained. “I have no idea what happened, but the power steering wasn’t working as before. I thought I’d have to stop on track because I couldn’t turn the wheel properly, but I persisted and I was lucky to get fourth. It’s a missed opportunity.”
It was a long night for Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton’s last-place qualifying symbolizes the struggles the seven-time world champion is facing. The SF-25 has never been a car with particular wet-weather abilities, but ending up twentieth is another matter. The British driver, as often lately, couldn’t put together the lap that performance-wise seemed possible. Small mistakes, minor slips, traffic, and the final irony of the session-ending red light prevented him from completing a final flying lap. “It’s a horrible feeling,” Lewis commented after qualifying. “I did everything possible to maximize the free practice sessions. I felt great today, but in Q1 I couldn’t put together a clean lap. I felt the car had potential, but I ended up twentieth. This is definitely my hardest season.”
Charles Leclerc, who finished ninth nearly two seconds behind Lando Norris, was blunt: “We haven’t been competitive in the wet for seven years.”
In stark contrast, Carlos Sainz was in a very different mood. His third place was an impressive achievement; Williams was expected to have a solid showing at Las Vegas, but a front-row start exceeded even the most optimistic expectations. Rain, rather than being a hindrance, became Sainz’s ally, offering a chance he seized masterfully. Tomorrow, Carlos will start behind the high-tension duo in first row, ready to seize every opportunity.
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