🔗 Share this article Norris Claims Pole Position in Rain-Soaked Las Vegas GP as Oscar Piastri Slips to Fifth Place McLaren's Lando Norris delivered a stunning performance in challenging rainy weather on the Nevada city track, earning the top spot for the upcoming race and taking a important stride closer to his maiden F1 title. Title Battle Intensifies as Leader Increases Advantage The championship frontrunner beat Max Verstappen, who secured second place, while his nearest rival—teammate Oscar Piastri—ended up in fifth position, giving the McLaren driver a prime chance to extend his lead in the championship. Carlos Sainz claimed P3, with George Russell finishing in fourth place. Hamilton Endures Poor Session in Vegas Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton had a disappointing qualifying, finishing last after struggling to get the tires to perform in the rainy weather during the first qualifying session and getting unlucky with a late yellow flag. His car has faced issues activating tyres in rainy weather throughout the year, but Hamilton's teammate performed more successfully, ending up in ninth place and posting a time significantly quicker than his teammate in the first qualifying segment. "It was awful," the driver said. "Visibility was zero. I think I hit the wall somewhere. I just couldn't even see the corners." Following showing impressive speed in the final practice session, he was very let down once more in what has been a challenging debut season with the Italian team. "It was a great day," Hamilton remarked. "I missed my final lap opportunity. I felt like we were quickest and then you come out of qualifying 20th. This year is definitely the hardest year." Lando Norris Executes Under Pressure In his case, as he attempts to claim his maiden F1 championship, he did exactly what was required by not only taking the top spot but also crucially beating Piastri on a circuit where McLaren had anticipated to struggle. Norris now is ahead of the Australian by twenty-four points and Verstappen by 49 points. Currently, finishing ahead of Piastri in the last three races would be enough to claim the championship. Indeed, if Norris can extend his lead to 26 points by the end of the upcoming race in Abu Dhabi, it would be sufficient to clinch the title at that venue. Strong Form Persists for McLaren Norris is firmly on a winning streak, discovering his groove with the vehicle at a crucial juncture in the championship, just as his teammate has struggled. Norris was 34 points trailing his teammate after the Dutch GP in August, but since then he has returned consistently top finishes, including pole and wins in the previous two events in Mexico City and Sao Paulo—enough to shift the title fight in his favor. McLaren Defies Predictions in Las Vegas The driver and his team had downplayed their chances for the weekend in Las Vegas, on a track that does not suit their car due to slippery surface and cool temperatures, and the squad had not finished above sixth in the previous two events here. However, they showed excellent performance in the qualifying session in the rain this occasion. Challenging Conditions Challenge Competitors Qualifying opened in steady precipitation, which turned what is already a very low-grip track in cool weather an absolute handful, marking the first time the session has been held in the wet in Vegas and necessitating the use of rain tires. Indeed, on his opening forays, the driver expressed his worry as he went wide. "Hydroplaning," he remarked. "It's impossible to stay on course." Qualifying Unfolds with Drama Yet, as the precipitation subsided, the circuit began to dry quickly on the racing line and the laptimes came down. Still, the differences were fine, as Williams' Alex Albon found out when he was caught by surprise on his last lap in Q1, hitting the barrier and causing damage that finished his session in sixteenth place. Precipitation ceased, but the surface was remained difficult to handle for the remainder of the session, and with rain tires still being used, the drivers remained on track and continued setting times as the dry line improved and the times dropped. The final laps were crucial, with Piastri only just making it through to Q2 in 10th place. Exciting Finale to Session In the final segment, the squads changed to intermediate tyres, once more remaining on track and pounding out circuits, making strategy essential for a final lap showdown. The lead switched repeatedly as the clock counted down, with the McLaren driver setting a sighter with his nose in front before the very last hot laps. Max Verstappen then grabbed the top spot as he completed his final attempt, but behind him, Norris was on a push and, even with a major moment through corners the final sector, had already done sufficient for a mighty pole position with a time of 1min 47.934secs. He could not be challenged with a yellow flag in his aftermath as Charles Leclerc ran off and Piastri also had to take evasive action to steer clear of another driver.