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.
Here’s how the standings look after the Vegas GP
F1 driver standings after Las Vegas GP
1. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 408 points
2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 378 points
3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 366 points
4. George Russell (Mercedes) – 291 points
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 224 points
6. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 149 points
7. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 128 points
8. Alex Albon (Williams) – 73 points
9. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – 47 points
10. Carlos Sainz (Williams) – 46 points
11. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) – 45 points
12. Ollie Bearman (Haas) – 40 points
13. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – 40 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
Norris now leads Oscar Piastri by more than a race win (Getty Images)
F1 constructor standings (TBC)
1. 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
