Lando Norris ticked off another box in his bid to win the F1 world championship by mastering a wet qualifying session to secure pole position for the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
In treacherous conditions on the Strip, Norris saw off Max Verstappen by 0.323 seconds, while Oscar Piastri – Norris’ closest title challenger – could manage only fifth.
Carlos Sainz took third for Williams, one place ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell. Lewis Hamilton’s nightmare debut season for Ferrari took a catastrophic twist after he qualified 20th and last.
Norris leads McLaren team-mate Piastri by 24 points and Verstappen by 49, with 83 points to play for across the concluding three rounds. He will start Saturday’s showbiz race in Nevada in the best position to extend his title advantage, with a view to potentially being crowned champion of the world as early as next weekend in Qatar.
Follow live coverage of the Las Vegas GP with The Independent
F1 LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX - LATEST UPDATES
- TOP-3: Verstappen, Russell, Norris (Lap 37/50)
- OVERTAKE! Norris takes second place from Russell (Lap 34/50)
- START! Norris drops from first to third with Verstappen leading
- START! Piastri drops places too in a tough start for McLaren
- Lewis Hamilton started dead last but is up to 12th at the start
Piastri makes an error (Lap 39/50)
05:10 , Kieran JacksonAntonelli positions his car perfectly to defend at the end of the back straight, while Piastri has a slide!
Leclerc is now right at the rear of this three-way DRS train.
A reminder: Antonelli still has a five-second penalty to serve, but may well go to the end of the race anyway.
In front, Verstappen’s lead now six seconds to Norris.
Top-10: Verstappen, Norris, Russell, Antonelli, Piastri, Leclerc, Sainz, Hadjar, Hulkenberg, Hamilton
Piastri closing in on Antonelli (Lap 38/50)
05:06 , Kieran JacksonThis overtake is coming in the battle for fourth.
Piastri needs to make it happen, too, with Leclerc just 1.2 seconds off behind.
Out in front, Verstappen has been told of Norris’s charge as he’s increased his lead to 5.7 seconds.
Norris overtakes Russell (Lap 34/50)
05:00 , Kieran JacksonSupreme pace for the McLaren of Lando Norris!
He’s up to second, having passed Russell easily on the main straight!
Next up, Max Verstappen - 5 seconds up the road.
Top-10 with 17 laps to go
04:58 , Kieran Jackson1. Verstappen
2. Russell - 3.4 seconds (gap to car in front)
3. Norris - 1.4
4. Antonelli - 11.3
5. Piastri - 1.4
6. Leclerc - 1.3
7. Sainx - 3.0
8. Hadjar - 5.3
9. Hulkenberg - 8.1
10. Hamilton - 3.4
Lewis Hamilton pits (Lap 30/50)
04:54 , Kieran JacksonHamilton now dives in for his obligatory pit-stop - 3.1 seconds - and switches to mediums.
He comes out in 10th.
Piastri moves up to sixth. Antonelli has a penalty ahead in fifth, but could still go to the end, and Hulkenberg has to pit.
Essentially puts Piastri net p4.
Las Vegas Grand Prix
04:51 , Kieran Jackson Verstappen pits (Lap 26/50)
04:47 , Kieran JacksonVerstappen does now dive in, 3.0-second stop, and comes out 1.2 seconds ahead of Russell in second.
Norris is 3.3 seconds behind Russell in third.
4-10: Hulkenberg, Hamilton, Antonelli, Ocon, Piastri, Leclerc, Sainz
Leclerc pits (Lap 25/50)
04:46 , Kieran JacksonLeclerc pits and comes out just behind Piastri, but ahead of Sainz.
Keep an eye on Lewis Hamilton in fifth, who still needs to pit.
Verstappen stays out (Lap 24/50)
04:44 , Kieran JacksonStill pumping in the lap times, Verstappen stays out - he’s 20 seconds clear of Leclerc in second.
Norris, in fourth, is two seconds off Russell.
Norris and Sainz pit (Lap 23/50)
04:42 , Kieran JacksonSecond and third both pit, 2.5 seconds for Norris, and the Brit is out in fourth.
Sainz, however, drops behind Piastri on the pit-exit.
Surely Verstappen will dive in himself now to cover?
Oscar Piastri pits (Lap 22/50)
04:41 , Kieran JacksonPiastri dives into the pits then, 2.7 seconds, and switches to hard tyres.
The Aussie down to 10th, in clean air. Can he make some progress?
Out in front, Norris now 4.1 seconds off Verstappen with Sainz 14 seconds off in third.
A two-way battle (perhaps with Russell as an outsider third) for the win it seems...
Norris sets fastest lap (Lap 19/50)
04:37 , Kieran JacksonWith Verstappen 2.7 seconds down the road, Norris is now flying in clean air and sets a new fastest lap.
You do wonder how that George Russell pit-stop will work out for Mercedes.
Top-10: Verstappen, Norris, Sainz, Leclerc, Piastri, Hadjar, Russell, Hulkenberg, Ocon, Hamilton
Hamilton up to 10th is flying...
George Russell pits (Lap 18/50)
04:34 , Kieran JacksonRussell is the first frontrunner to pit!
A 2.2-second stop and the Brit feeds back in seventh, in clean air, on new hard tyres.
Will Verstappen and Norris respond immediately? Let’s see...
Norris: “Clean air is miles better.” Think he may stay out...
Piastri takes sixth (Lap 17/50)
04:33 , Kieran JacksonPiastri finally gets it done, just after that VSC ends, and is up to sixth
Leclerc, however, is 1.5 seconds down the road.
Out in front, Verstappen has a 2.3-second lead to Russell, with Norris now closing in - just 1.1 seconds behind the Mercedes.
Virtual safety car (Lap 16/50)
04:31 , Kieran JacksonAfter a clash at the back with Hamilton and Albon, there’s debris on track at the end of the back straight - so a VSC has been called.
Will anyone have an opportunity to pit? I don’t think so...
Leclerc up to fifth (Lap 15/50)
04:29 , Kieran JacksonLeclerc is gaining speed and cruises past Isack Hadjar.
Got to say, Piastri really needs to get ahead of the Racing Bull here.
Meanwhile, Antonelli down in 13th has a five-second penalty for a false start.
Top-10: Verstappen, Russell, Norris, Sainz, Leclerc, Hadjar, Piastri, Bearman, Alonso, Hulkenberg
Piastri drops to seventh (Lap 13/50)
04:25 , Kieran JacksonAh dear, Oscar.
Piastri complaining of graining with his tyres, loses pace, and Leclerc takes the McLaren on the straight!
Not good news for Piastri - down to seventh!
Verstappen builds his lead (Lap 12/50)
04:24 , Kieran JacksonVerstappen now has a 1.7-second lead on Russell, with Norris still two seconds off the Mercedes.
Piastri, meanwhile, now within DRS on Hadjar in fifth. He needs to get the move done.
Meanwhile, Leclerc on team radio: “I’m pushing like an animal.”
He’s just outside of DRS behind Piastri.
Piastri cleared (Lap 8/50)
04:18 , Kieran JacksonNo further investigation on the Piastri-Lawson clash. Phew, for Oscar.
He’s still struggling for speed in P6.
Out in front, Verstappen has staved off that attack from Russell and is outside the DRS range.
Norris, however, is 2.9 seconds off second-place now.
Russell within DRS on Verstappen (Lap 5/50)
04:14 , Kieran JacksonRussell has closed a gap on lap 2 of 1.5 seconds to now be within a second, at 0.7 seconds.
Can the Mercedes make a move stick on his arch rival?
Norris is two seconds off Russell, with Piastri down in sixth struggling behind Isack Hadjar - he’s 1.8 seconds behind.
Top-10: Verstappen, Russell, Norris, Sainz, Hadjar, Piastri, Leclerc, Bearman, Alonso, Hulkenberg
Stroll and Bortoleto out (Lap 5/50)
04:13 , Kieran JacksonBortoleto absolutely smashed into Stroll at turn 1 - and both are out!
Revenge from the Brazilian for the last race! He’s certain to get a penalty, me thinks..
Piastri and Lawson noted by race control (Lap 4/50)
04:10 , Kieran JacksonAs if it couldn’t get any worse for Oscar Piastri, the Australian is under investigation for a turn 1 incident.
I believe that’s how he lost his places - he is up from seventh to sixth now, an overtake occurring on lap 2.
VSC has now ended..
Hamilton up to 12th (Lap 2/50)
04:08 , Kieran JacksonSeven places for Lewis Hamilton at the start!
And with debris on the track, the virtual safety car is called!
Top-10: Verstappen, Russell, Norris, Sainz, Hadjar, Piastri, Bearman, Leclerc, Alonso, Gasly
Verstappen takes the lead!
04:06 , Kieran JacksonNightmare start for both McLarens!
Norris sweeps across ahead of turn 1 at the start but goes deep, off the track!
Russell then takes second place around the outside at turn 3 - Norris down to third!
But Oscar Piastri has dropped places too, he’s down to seventh!
Formation lap:
04:01 , Kieran JacksonLando Norris leads the 19-car pack on the grid away then for the formation lap.
The top nine all start on the medium tyre, with Kimi Antonelli in 17th the only soft-tyre starter.
Lewis Hamilton is on hards.
What will happen at the start here?!
A reminder of the starting grid:
03:59 , Kieran Jackson1. Lando Norris - McLaren
2. Max Verstappen - Red Bull
3. Carlos Sainz - Williams
4. George Russell - Mercedes
5. Oscar Piastri - McLaren
6. Liam Lawson - Racing Bulls
7. Fernando Alonso - Aston Martin
8. Isack Hadjar - Racing Bulls
9. Charles Leclerc - Ferrari
10. Pierre Gasly - Alpine
11. Nico Hulkenberg - Sauber
12. Lance Stroll - Aston Martin
13. Esteban Ocon - Haas
14. Ollie Bearman - Haas
15. Franco Colapinto - Alpine
16. Alex Albon - Williams
17. Kimi Antonelli - Mercedes
18. Gabriel Bortoleto - Sauber
19. Lewis Hamilton - Ferrari
Pit lane. Yuki Tsunoda - Red Bull
Las Vegas Grand Prix
03:58 , Kieran JacksonBig moments then in the world championship.
Title leader Lando Norris starts on pole, with Max Verstappen in second - how aggressive will the Dutchman be at turn 1? A reminder: if Verstappen finishes more than eight points behind Norris, he will be officially out of the title race.
But all eyes, really, towards Oscar Piastri in fifth - he has to make something happen today. How aggressive does he go at the start?
Oscar Piastri, who starts fifth:
03:50 , Kieran Jackson“I’m looking forward to it, should be interesting.
“A lot of unknowns.”
He’ll surely do an alternative strategy to Norris.
F1 Academy winner
03:48 , Kieran JacksonEarlier, Mercedes junior Doriane Pin won the all-female F1 Academy title.
Doriane celebrating with George & Kimi 🥳 pic.twitter.com/2q9ICrSUNb
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) November 23, 2025
Time for the US national anthem!
03:45 , Kieran JacksonFor the third time this year - with three American races on the calendar - it’s time for the Star Spangled Banner, performed by Adrian Lyles.
What can Ferrari do today?
03:43 , Kieran JacksonLeclerc ninth, Hamilton 19th.
Can they make any headway tonight?
Lando Norris on potential for rain:
03:40 , Kieran JacksonCould the rain shuffle the cards again in Vegas? 👀 pic.twitter.com/hsHxo3cLRR
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) November 23, 2025
Jenson Button on Oscar Piastri's race:
03:36 , Kieran Jackson“If he has a race where he finishes fourth or fifth, it's done. It has to happen now.
“He has to fight his way to the front, as Lando has done to him since Zandvoort.”
He’s right - now or never for Oscar, really.
Las Vegas Grand Prix - odds!
03:33 , Kieran JacksonLas Vegas Grand Prix Winner:
- Lando Norris - 19/20
- Max Verstappen - 31/20
- George Russell - 8/1
- Oscar Piastri - 25/1
- Carlos Sainz - 50/1
- Charles Leclerc - 80/1
- Kimi Antonelli - 150/1
- Fernando Alonso - 150/1
- Isack Hadjar - 150/1
- Lewis Hamilton - 150/1
- Liam Lawson - 150/1
Odds provided by Grosvenor Sport
Norris and Piastri
03:30 , Kieran JacksonIt’s potentially a title-deciding race, this.
If the positions stay as they are, Norris would take another 15-point bounce and move up to a 39-point lead.
Piastri has to do something special today.
Max Verstappen on qualifying second:
03:27 , Kieran JacksonAsked if he was surprised at just how much faster Norris was, Verstappen replied: “No, I mean why would it surprise me? Some people say that, but for me it’s never really been a big concern.
“I mean they have been quick on almost every track, and especially in the wet on inters they have been super strong the whole season. So for me then there’s no surprise that they are suddenly up there.
“But that’s also, at the end of the day, not my concern. I can only control what I can with my car, and that’s what we focus on,”
Jenson Button pins blame on Lewis Hamilton for F1 qualifying error: ‘He’s lost focus’
03:23 , Kieran JacksonSky F1’s Bernie Collins revealed, having listened to radio messages, that the Ferrari pit wall did tell Hamilton to continue “pushing”, but Hamilton lifted off the accelerator.
Asked whether he could defend Hamilton for the error, fellow Sky F1 pundit and 2009 world champion Button replied: “No – it’s a tricky one. He’s not the first one to probably make this mistake, but the timing line is a different line to the gantry.
“You should know that because the time comes up on your dash. We all get told what our lap times are when you cross that line.”
“I guess he should know every regulation – it’s really tricky as a driver if you see a red light flash up above you, you think it's over. But the timing line is obviously before that.
“When it’s that tricky out there, so much going on… he’s lost focus on what is correct for starting the next lap.”
Why Sky F1’s Martin Brundle will not conduct Las Vegas GP grid walk
03:20 , Kieran JacksonMartin Brundle will not conduct the grid walk for Sky Sports F1 at the Las Vegas Grand Prix this weekend.
The Sky F1 broadcaster, who has led his famous grid walk at the first two Vegas races, is not present in Sin City this weekend, with Jenson Button instead acting as co-commentator alongside David Croft.
Brundle is contracted to work 16 of the 24 F1 races for Sky per season, with the veteran broadcaster missing Vegas this weekend. He is set to return for the final two races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
It is unclear whether 2009 F1 world champion Button, who blamed Lewis Hamilton for the late qualifying error which saw the Briton qualify dead-last, will lead the grid walk in Brundle’s absence. Other Sky Sports pundits such as Bernie Collins, Anthony Davidson and Rachel Brookes could also take Brundle’s place.
What is the full starting grid in Vegas?
03:00 , Kieran Jackson1. Lando Norris - McLaren
2. Max Verstappen - Red Bull
3. Carlos Sainz - Williams
4. George Russell - Mercedes
5. Oscar Piastri - McLaren
6. Liam Lawson - Racing Bulls
7. Fernando Alonso - Aston Martin
8. Isack Hadjar - Racing Bulls
9. Charles Leclerc - Ferrari
10. Pierre Gasly - Alpine
11. Nico Hulkenberg - Sauber
12. Lance Stroll - Aston Martin
13. Esteban Ocon - Haas
14. Ollie Bearman - Haas
15. Franco Colapinto - Alpine
16. Alex Albon - Williams
17. Kimi Antonelli - Mercedes
18. Gabriel Bortoleto - Sauber
19. Yuki Tsunoda - Red Bull
20. Lewis Hamilton - Ferrari
Max Verstappen on qualifying second:
02:45 , Kieran JacksonAsked if he was surprised at just how much faster Norris was, Verstappen replied: “No, I mean why would it surprise me? Some people say that, but for me it’s never really been a big concern.
“I mean they have been quick on almost every track, and especially in the wet on inters they have been super strong the whole season. So for me then there’s no surprise that they are suddenly up there.
“But that’s also, at the end of the day, not my concern. I can only control what I can with my car, and that’s what we focus on.”
Lando Norris after 'stressful as hell' qualifying
02:30 , Kieran Jackson“It was stressful as hell,” said Norris. “It is so slippery out there that as soon as you hit the kerb you snap the car but it was good enough for P1.
“I had a nap before qualifying, and I was expecting it to be dry and I woke up and saw it was wet.
“I thought: ‘Oh crap this is not going to well’. It is so easy to crash when it is like this so it is rewarding to be on pole.
“The pace has been good all weekend. I didn’t expect to be as quick as I was in the wet. It is going to be an interesting race with Max up there. Hopefully we can have a good race.”
F1 driver standings heading into Vegas:
02:00 , Kieran Jackson1. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 390 points
2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 366 points
3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 341 points
4. George Russell (Mercedes) – 276 points
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 214 points
6. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 148 points
7. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 122 points
8. Alex Albon (Williams) – 73 points
9. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) - 43 points
10. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – 43 points
11. Ollie Bearman (Haas) – 40 points
12. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – 40 points
13. Carlos Sainz (Williams) – 38 points
14. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – 36 points
15. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – 32 points
16. Esteban Ocon (Haas) – 30 points
17. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – 28 points
18. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – 22 points
19. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) – 19 points
20. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – 0 points
21. Jack Doohan (Alpine) – 0 points
F1 constructor standings heading into Vegas:
01:00 , Kieran Jackson1. McLaren - 756 points (champions)
2. Mercedes - 398 points
3. Red Bull - 366 points
4. Ferrari - 362 points
5. Williams - 111 points
6. Racing Bulls - 82 points
7. Aston Martin - 72 points
8. Haas - 70 points
9. Sauber - 62 points
10. Alpine - 22 points
Oscar Piastri, after qualifying fifth-fastest:
Saturday 22 November 2025 23:59 , Kieran Jackson"Tough end to the session with the Yellow Flag on the final lap. I felt like we had really good pace, so it's disappointing, but at least we can say we were fast.
“There should be a few overtaking opportunities tomorrow and it's Vegas, so anything can happen. Let's see what we can do."
PIECE: The cold truth behind Ferrari’s F1 struggles
Saturday 22 November 2025 23:00 , Kieran JacksonBy Kieran Jackson
For all intents and purposes, a few off-the-cuff comments from John Elkann last week have caused quite the maelstrom in the helter-skelter world that is Scuderia Ferrari. And what is even more concrete, given the backlash triggered, is that the Ferrari chair’s interview very much did not have the intent, nor the purpose, desired.
To recap, off the back of Ferrari’s victory in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) in Bahrain and, on the same weekend, Ferrari’s double DNF in the Brazilian Grand Prix, Elkann praised the engineers and mechanics at Ferrari F1 for their car improvements and rapid pit-stops in recent months. That, in itself, was questionable. But then came the main soundbite.
Full piece below:
The cold truth behind Ferrari’s struggles – and it’s not Hamilton or Leclerc’s fault
Lewis Hamilton after qualifying in 20th:
Saturday 22 November 2025 22:00 , Kieran Jackson"I don't really have words for it," a deflated Hamilton said in the media pen afterwards. "It's obviously not good enough.
“I just couldn't get temperature into the tyres, had a lot of understeer and I think one of my front brakes was glazed so I was really struggling to stop it in the corners.
"It's very annoying, of course, because in P3 the car was feeling awesome and I thought it was going to be a great day and it turned out to be the worst.
“It can't get much worse than that."
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella after qualifying:
Saturday 22 November 2025 21:00 , Kieran Jackson“Lando can be very proud of his Pole position. He drove extraordinarily well throughout the session, adapting perfectly to the grip conditions that changed lap after lap. The result today is particularly significant because it comes on a track that has certainly not been kind to us in the past. It means that the preparation work we have done is paying off, well done to the team for their efforts.
“It is a shame for Oscar, who, without the Yellow Flags on his last flying lap in Q3, could probably have qualified third. However, Qualifying is only the first step this weekend - the points will be awarded tomorrow evening, and we are well aware that our opponents are very strong, especially on this track."
What is the full starting grid in Vegas?
Saturday 22 November 2025 20:00 , Kieran Jackson1. Lando Norris - McLaren
2. Max Verstappen - Red Bull
3. Carlos Sainz - Williams
4. George Russell - Mercedes
5. Oscar Piastri - McLaren
6. Liam Lawson - Racing Bulls
7. Fernando Alonso - Aston Martin
8. Isack Hadjar - Racing Bulls
9. Charles Leclerc - Ferrari
10. Pierre Gasly - Alpine
11. Nico Hulkenberg - Sauber
12. Lance Stroll - Aston Martin
13. Esteban Ocon - Haas
14. Ollie Bearman - Haas
15. Franco Colapinto - Alpine
16. Alex Albon - Williams
17. Kimi Antonelli - Mercedes
18. Gabriel Bortoleto - Sauber
19. Yuki Tsunoda - Red Bull
20. Lewis Hamilton - Ferrari
When can Lando Norris win the 2025 F1 world championship?
Saturday 22 November 2025 19:00 , Kieran JacksonThe next race in Las Vegas is a traditional race weekend, with no sprint race, meaning a maximum of 25 points are up for grabs. After Vegas, there will be just 58 points left on the table.
If Norris wins in Sin City and Piastri fails to score, the Briton’s lead would be 49 points, so he can’t claim the world championship in Vegas.
However, by the end of the final sprint race of the year at the penultimate round in Qatar, Piastri would need to be within 50 points of his McLaren teammate in order to stand a mathematical chance of catching him.
Therefore, the earliest Norris can win the title is the sprint race in Qatar on Saturday 29 November.
Fernando Alonso, who qualified P7:
Saturday 22 November 2025 18:00 , Kieran Jackson"I think P7 was unthinkable two hours ago and it was more fun than what I thought it was going to be out there tonight. I thought we could be in for a very long evening with a lot of red flags, but I'm happy with P7 in the end.
“The team did a good job to make sure we were on the right tyres and we maximised the session. The wet conditions have helped our performance, so let's see what we can do tomorrow."
Why Sky F1’s Martin Brundle will not conduct Las Vegas GP grid walk
Saturday 22 November 2025 17:00 , Kieran JacksonMartin Brundle will not conduct the grid walk for Sky Sports F1 at the Las Vegas Grand Prix this weekend.
The Sky F1 broadcaster, who has led his famous grid walk at the first two Vegas races, is not present in Sin City this weekend, with Jenson Button instead acting as co-commentator alongside David Croft.
Brundle is contracted to work 16 of the 24 F1 races for Sky per season, with the veteran broadcaster missing Vegas this weekend. He is set to return for the final two races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
It is unclear whether 2009 F1 world champion Button, who blamed Lewis Hamilton for the late qualifying error which saw the Briton qualify dead-last, will lead the grid walk in Brundle’s absence. Other Sky Sports pundits such as Bernie Collins, Anthony Davidson and Rachel Brookes could also take Brundle’s place.
Charles Leclerc after qualifying ninth:
Saturday 22 November 2025 15:00 , Kieran Jackson“It was a really tricky qualifying today, with low grip on the wet track. Our car struggles in these conditions and it’s really difficult to find a way to maintain a large enough window of good grip to fight with our rivals.
“It’s frustrating, but we will continue doing everything we can to find a solution.
“The race should be dry tomorrow, so the conditions will be different again. We had quite a high downforce setup for today, so this could impact our straight-line speed in the race. We will make the most of it and I hope we can have a good start and move forward during the race.”
F1 constructor standings heading into Vegas:
Saturday 22 November 2025 14:00 , Kieran Jackson1. McLaren - 756 points (champions)
2. Mercedes - 398 points
3. Red Bull - 366 points
4. Ferrari - 362 points
5. Williams - 111 points
6. Racing Bulls - 82 points
7. Aston Martin - 72 points
8. Haas - 70 points
9. Sauber - 62 points
10. Alpine - 22 points
Carlos Sainz, after qualifying third on the grid:
Saturday 22 November 2025 12:00 , Kieran Jackson“Very happy after one of the trickiest qualifying’s of the year! From my first lap today, I’ve felt at home with the car. Every time I was closing in on my lap we were at the top of the field and I was enjoying myself out there in these conditions.
“Despite opening my last attempt a bit early, I knew I had a shot at pole and for a moment I thought I had it! But two very quick cars behind me were able to improve and edge us out. Still, P3 is an amazing result for the team and we have to feel proud of the job done.
“Our target for tomorrow will be to remain in position, whilst being conscious we have some very quick cars behind us and it’s easy to overtake here. We’ll make ourselves as wide as possible and give it our all. Vamos!”
F1 driver standings heading into Vegas:
Saturday 22 November 2025 11:00 , Kieran Jackson1. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 390 points
2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 366 points
3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 341 points
4. George Russell (Mercedes) – 276 points
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 214 points
6. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 148 points
7. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 122 points
8. Alex Albon (Williams) – 73 points
9. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) - 43 points
10. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – 43 points
11. Ollie Bearman (Haas) – 40 points
12. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – 40 points
13. Carlos Sainz (Williams) – 38 points
14. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – 36 points
15. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – 32 points
16. Esteban Ocon (Haas) – 30 points
17. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – 28 points
18. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – 22 points
19. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) – 19 points
20. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – 0 points
21. Jack Doohan (Alpine) – 0 points
Oscar Piastri, after qualifying fifth-fastest:
Saturday 22 November 2025 10:00 , Kieran Jackson"Tough end to the session with the Yellow Flag on the final lap. I felt like we had really good pace, so it's disappointing, but at least we can say we were fast.
“There should be a few overtaking opportunities tomorrow and it's Vegas, so anything can happen. Let's see what we can do."
PIECE: The cold truth behind Ferrari’s F1 struggles
Saturday 22 November 2025 09:30 , Kieran JacksonBy Kieran Jackson
For all intents and purposes, a few off-the-cuff comments from John Elkann last week have caused quite the maelstrom in the helter-skelter world that is Scuderia Ferrari. And what is even more concrete, given the backlash triggered, is that the Ferrari chair’s interview very much did not have the intent, nor the purpose, desired.
To recap, off the back of Ferrari’s victory in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) in Bahrain and, on the same weekend, Ferrari’s double DNF in the Brazilian Grand Prix, Elkann praised the engineers and mechanics at Ferrari F1 for their car improvements and rapid pit-stops in recent months. That, in itself, was questionable. But then came the main soundbite.
Full piece below:
The cold truth behind Ferrari’s struggles – and it’s not Hamilton or Leclerc’s fault
What is the full starting grid in Vegas?
Saturday 22 November 2025 09:00 , Kieran Jackson1. Lando Norris - McLaren
2. Max Verstappen - Red Bull
3. Carlos Sainz - Williams
4. George Russell - Mercedes
5. Oscar Piastri - McLaren
6. Liam Lawson - Racing Bulls
7. Fernando Alonso - Aston Martin
8. Isack Hadjar - Racing Bulls
9. Charles Leclerc - Ferrari
10. Pierre Gasly - Alpine
11. Nico Hulkenberg - Sauber
12. Lance Stroll - Aston Martin
13. Esteban Ocon - Haas
14. Ollie Bearman - Haas
15. Franco Colapinto - Alpine
16. Alex Albon - Williams
17. Kimi Antonelli - Mercedes
18. Gabriel Bortoleto - Sauber
19. Yuki Tsunoda - Red Bull
20. Lewis Hamilton - Ferrari
Hamilton after qualifying in 20th:
Saturday 22 November 2025 08:44 , Kieran Jackson"I don't really have words for it," a deflated Hamilton said in the media pen afterwards. "It's obviously not good enough.
“I just couldn't get temperature into the tyres, had a lot of understeer and I think one of my front brakes was glazed so I was really struggling to stop it in the corners.
"It's very annoying, of course, because in P3 the car was feeling awesome and I thought it was going to be a great day and it turned out to be the worst.
“It can't get much worse than that."
When can Lando Norris win the 2025 F1 world championship?
Saturday 22 November 2025 08:30 , Kieran JacksonThe next race in Las Vegas is a traditional race weekend, with no sprint race, meaning a maximum of 25 points are up for grabs. After Vegas, there will be just 58 points left on the table.
If Norris wins in Sin City and Piastri fails to score, the Briton’s lead would be 49 points, so he can’t claim the world championship in Vegas.
However, by the end of the final sprint race of the year at the penultimate round in Qatar, Piastri would need to be within 50 points of his McLaren teammate in order to stand a mathematical chance of catching him.
Therefore, the earliest Norris can win the title is the sprint race in Qatar on Saturday 29 November.
Lewis Hamilton hits new F1 career low after qualifying dead last for Las Vegas GP
Saturday 22 November 2025 08:20 , Kieran JacksonLewis Hamilton endured a new F1 career low at the Las Vegas Grand Prix as he qualified slowest in the field for the first time in his career on pure pace.
In treacherous wet conditions on the Vegas strip, Hamilton struggled throughout as the whole grid eventually switched to full-wet tyres, rarely used in modern-day F1.
Yet Hamilton – who has recorded some of his best-ever victories in wet conditions – could not optimise his Ferrari car and will start the race in 20th, having ended up 2.3 seconds slower than teammate Charles Leclerc.
Full story and quotes below:
Lewis Hamilton hits new F1 career low after qualifying dead last for Las Vegas GP
Top-10 - F1 Las Vegas GP qualifying
Saturday 22 November 2025 08:13 , Kieran Jackson1. Lando Norris - McLaren
2. Max Verstappen - Red Bull
3. Carlos Sainz - Williams
4. George Russell - Mercedes
5. Oscar Piastri - McLaren
6. Liam Lawson - Racing Bulls
7. Fernando Alonso - Aston Martin
8. Isack Hadjar - Racing Bulls
9. Charles Leclerc - Ferrari
10. Pierre Gasly - Alpine
Lando Norris after 'stressful as hell' qualifying
Saturday 22 November 2025 08:07 , Kieran Jackson“It was stressful as hell,” said Norris. “It is so slippery out there that as soon as you hit the kerb you snap the car but it was good enough for P1.
“I had a nap before qualifying, and I was expecting it to be dry and I woke up and saw it was wet.
“I thought: ‘Oh crap this is not going to well’. It is so easy to crash when it is like this so it is rewarding to be on pole.
“The pace has been good all weekend. I didn’t expect to be as quick as I was in the wet. It is going to be an interesting race with Max up there. Hopefully we can have a good race.”
What is the start time for the Las Vegas Grand Prix?
Saturday 22 November 2025 08:04 , Kieran JacksonThe Vegas street race will start at 4am (GMT) on Sunday morning, which is 10pm local time.
F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix - qualifying
Saturday 22 November 2025 08:02 , Kieran JacksonLando Norris ticked off another box in his bid to win the F1 world championship by mastering a wet qualifying session to secure pole position for the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
In treacherous conditions on the Strip, Norris saw off Max Verstappen by 0.323 seconds, while Oscar Piastri – Norris’ closest title challenger – could manage only fifth.
Carlos Sainz took third for Williams, one place ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell. Lewis Hamilton’s nightmare debut season for Ferrari took a catastrophic twist after he qualified 20th and last.
Norris leads McLaren team-mate Piastri by 24 points and Verstappen by 49, with 83 points to play for across the concluding three rounds. He will start Saturday’s showbiz race in Nevada in the best position to extend his title advantage, with a view to potentially being crowned champion of the world as early as next weekend in Qatar.