LAS VEGAS: Lando Norris’ attempt to rewrite his personal history at the Las Vegas Grand Prix couldn’t have started any better.
McLaren’s championship front-runner will start the Saturday race from the front of the grid after clinching first place with a timely final lap at the conclusion of the third and final stage of a rainy qualifying session on Friday.
Norris eclipsed Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by 0.323, depriving the reigning four-time champion of what would have been his eighth pole of the season.
“It was pretty nasty,” Norris said of the conditions. “It was so slippery. The amount of wheel spin in certain places was difficult. It was difficult to lock the tires. Everything was pretty tough, so I’m even more satisfied with the end result because of how tricky everything was out there today.”
Friday marked the first wet qualifying session since the 2024 Sao Paulo Grand Prix last November, where Norris also claimed pole position for that weekend’s Grand Prix.
Norris, 26, can move within proverbial inches of his first World Drivers’ Championship with a win — or even a positive result — on Saturday. Norris previously struggled at the Las Vegas Strip Circuit, retiring after a scary crash in 2023 before registering a disappointing sixth-place finish in 2024.
Williams’ Carlos Sainz, who qualified in second at Las Vegas in 2023 and 2024, will start third on the grid on Sunday after notching another impressive performance on the Strip. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who is second in the championship standings, qualified fifth after going off the track on his final lap.
Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, typically a star in the rain, will start Saturday’s race dead last after being eliminated with a P20 finish in the first qualifying session. Hamilton aborted his final lap after a miscommunication with his team about whether his time was safe before he began the last-second attempt. In his 19th Formula 1 season, it was the first Q1 elimination on pure pace in Hamilton’s career.
“I had a yellow flag in the last corner and then going into turn 17, there was a yellow flag, so I had to lift, came across the line and it was red,” Hamilton said. “But I didn’t have the grip anyway, so I don’t think it would have made much difference.”
Lando Norris, eyeing F1 championship, earns Las Vegas pole
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Lando Norris, eyeing F1 championship, earns Las Vegas pole
- McLaren’s championship front-runner will start the Saturday race from the front of the grid
- Norris, 26, can move within proverbial inches of his first World Drivers’ Championship with a win — or even a positive result
Australia injury woes continue with skipper Marsh ruled out of World Cup opener
- Former captain Steve Smith will join squad in Sri Lanka as cover while Travis Head captains team
- Marsh sustained direct blow to the groin during training earlier this week, Cricket Australia says
Australia captain Mitchell Marsh will miss the opening game of their Twenty20 World Cup campaign against Ireland on Wednesday with a groin injury, Cricket Australia (CA) said.
Steve Smith will now join the squad in Sri Lanka as cover, with fellow batsman Travis Head captaining the side at Colombo’s R Premadasa Stadium and Matthew Renshaw coming into the team.
Marsh sustained a direct blow to the groin during training earlier this week and is experiencing pain and discomfort which is restricting his movement, the board added.
“Scans have confirmed internal testicular bleeding, and he will require a period of rest and rehabilitation. His return to play will be guided by symptom resolution and medical advice,” CA said in a statement.
Head said at the toss later that Marsh was unlucky to miss out and appeared to play down the seriousness of the injury. He did not give a timeline for his teammate’s return.
“Unfortunately Mitchie Marsh has copped a blow at training a couple of days ago and no one has been willing to massage it out for him,” Head joked after winning the toss and opting to bat.
“He’s the unfortunate one but the rest (of the side) is the same. It’s nice to have a couple of boys back from the Pakistan series. Strong team and we’re looking forward to going well.”
Australia are also without fast bowler Pat Cummins, who was ruled out of the event after failing to recover from a niggling back injury. Fellow seamer Josh Hazlewood lost a race to be fit after Achilles and hamstring injuries.
Mitchell Starc has quit the format, leaving them without their top quick bowlers.
The big-hitting Tim David was also ruled out of the first game as he returns from a hamstring strain.
The 2021 champions take on Zimbabwe in their second match on Friday.
