George Russell will start fourth in Las Vegas and would like to fight for a podium…
George Russell: "To be honest, I hope I can fight for the win, to win a second Las Vegas Grand Prix in a row. We'll certainly try to win, because on this track in cool conditions we should be quick, but, as always, we have to deal with many unknowns — that's what makes Formula 1 great! Lando and Max are starting ahead of me, and both have won races recently, but I hope we can fight with them for a podium. But to achieve that, we'll have to work hard. I really like this race, the atmosphere in this city is unbelievably cool, and when we speed past all those hotels lit up with lights, it's an insanely vivid experience! Formula 1 drivers are in a privileged position — we're racing in Las Vegas, doing what we love, and I'm thrilled by it all."
George Russell: "To be honest, I hope I can fight for the win, to win a second Las Vegas Grand Prix in a row. We'll certainly try to win, because on this track in cool conditions we should be quick, but, as always, we have to deal with many unknowns — that's what makes Formula 1 great! Lando and Max are starting ahead of me, and both have won races recently, but I hope we can fight with them for a podium. But to achieve that, we'll have to work hard. I really like this race, the atmosphere in this city is unbelievably cool, and when we speed past all those hotels lit up with lights, it's an insanely vivid experience! Formula 1 drivers are in a privileged position — we're racing in Las Vegas, doing what we love, and I'm thrilled by it all."
Fernando Alonso starts in Las Vegas pleased with his qualifying result and hopes to score points in the race...
Fernando Alonso: "Before qualifying I didn't have any particular expectations, because on this track it's very difficult to keep the car on the slicks. So I expected the worst in the rain.
However, in reality it wasn't that bad, and the grip was higher than I expected. I qualified seventh thanks to the rain, but we'll see what result we can achieve today."
Fernando Alonso: "Before qualifying I didn't have any particular expectations, because on this track it's very difficult to keep the car on the slicks. So I expected the worst in the rain.
However, in reality it wasn't that bad, and the grip was higher than I expected. I qualified seventh thanks to the rain, but we'll see what result we can achieve today."
Oscar Piastri will start fifth in Las Vegas and hopes to make up ground…
Oscar Piastri: "I was a bit unlucky in qualifying because of yellow flags, but that was out of my control. Of course you want to be fully in control, and at first the weekend was going quite well, but qualifying took place in difficult conditions and everyone had little information about how the cars would behave. Nevertheless, everything was going fairly well up to the final session…
We'll see what awaits us today, since the race takes place in completely different conditions. Besides, nobody managed to do a long run, so it's quite possible that the Las Vegas Grand Prix will play out in a rather interesting way.
My mindset is this: the main thing is to have a clean race and make it to the finish, but if the opportunity arises to score a lot of points through aggressive driving or through strategy, it should definitely be taken."
Oscar Piastri: "I was a bit unlucky in qualifying because of yellow flags, but that was out of my control. Of course you want to be fully in control, and at first the weekend was going quite well, but qualifying took place in difficult conditions and everyone had little information about how the cars would behave. Nevertheless, everything was going fairly well up to the final session…
We'll see what awaits us today, since the race takes place in completely different conditions. Besides, nobody managed to do a long run, so it's quite possible that the Las Vegas Grand Prix will play out in a rather interesting way.
My mindset is this: the main thing is to have a clean race and make it to the finish, but if the opportunity arises to score a lot of points through aggressive driving or through strategy, it should definitely be taken."
Lewis Hamilton had a poor qualifying session and hopes to make up for it in the race...
Lewis Hamilton: "Time will tell what we can achieve starting from the back row. I think the car was working quite well in practice, but no one did long runs, so it's a kind of new situation for everyone, especially since yesterday's rain washed a layer of rubber off the asphalt.
It will be interesting to see how we'll all warm the tyres, how to manage their wear, and what strategies everyone will use. We'll do everything we can, but we'll have to solve some very difficult problems. Yesterday we were just unlucky because of the rain, but that's life! So today a lot of cars will be starting ahead of me, and it's going to be a long race.
A year ago I managed to finish second after starting from tenth. Fighting your way forward from such a far-back starting position isn't much fun, but I'll try to do everything possible."
Lewis Hamilton: "Time will tell what we can achieve starting from the back row. I think the car was working quite well in practice, but no one did long runs, so it's a kind of new situation for everyone, especially since yesterday's rain washed a layer of rubber off the asphalt.
It will be interesting to see how we'll all warm the tyres, how to manage their wear, and what strategies everyone will use. We'll do everything we can, but we'll have to solve some very difficult problems. Yesterday we were just unlucky because of the rain, but that's life! So today a lot of cars will be starting ahead of me, and it's going to be a long race.
A year ago I managed to finish second after starting from tenth. Fighting your way forward from such a far-back starting position isn't much fun, but I'll try to do everything possible."
1. Lando Norris
McLaren
1:47.934
2. Max Verstappen
Red Bull
1:48.257
+ 0.323
3. Carlos Sainz
Williams
1:48.296
+ 0.362
4. George Russell
Mercedes
1:48.803
+ 0.869
5. Oscar Piastri
McLaren
1:48.961
+ 1.027
6. Liam Lawson
Racing Bulls
1:49.062
+ 1.128
7. Fernando Alonso
Aston Martin
1:49.466
+ 1.532
8. Isack Hadjar
Racing Bulls
1:49.554
+ 1.620
9. Charles Leclerc
Ferrari
1:49.872
+ 1.938
10. Pierre Gasly
Alpine
1:51.540
+ 3.606
11. Nico Hulkenberg
Sauber
1:52.781
12. Lance Stroll
Aston Martin
1:52.850
13. Esteban Ocon
Haas
1:52.987
14. Oliver Bearman
Haas
1:53.094
15. Franco Colapinto
Alpine
1:53.683
16. Alex Albon
Williams
1:56.220
17. Kimi Antonelli
Mercedes
1:56.314
18. Gabriel Bortoleto
Sauber
1:56.674
19. Lewis Hamilton
Ferrari
1:57.115
Start from the pit lane
Yuki Tsunoda
Red Bull
1:56.798
penalized for breaching parc fermé rules
McLaren
1:47.934
2. Max Verstappen
Red Bull
1:48.257
+ 0.323
3. Carlos Sainz
Williams
1:48.296
+ 0.362
4. George Russell
Mercedes
1:48.803
+ 0.869
5. Oscar Piastri
McLaren
1:48.961
+ 1.027
6. Liam Lawson
Racing Bulls
1:49.062
+ 1.128
7. Fernando Alonso
Aston Martin
1:49.466
+ 1.532
8. Isack Hadjar
Racing Bulls
1:49.554
+ 1.620
9. Charles Leclerc
Ferrari
1:49.872
+ 1.938
10. Pierre Gasly
Alpine
1:51.540
+ 3.606
11. Nico Hulkenberg
Sauber
1:52.781
12. Lance Stroll
Aston Martin
1:52.850
13. Esteban Ocon
Haas
1:52.987
14. Oliver Bearman
Haas
1:53.094
15. Franco Colapinto
Alpine
1:53.683
16. Alex Albon
Williams
1:56.220
17. Kimi Antonelli
Mercedes
1:56.314
18. Gabriel Bortoleto
Sauber
1:56.674
19. Lewis Hamilton
Ferrari
1:57.115
Start from the pit lane
Yuki Tsunoda
Red Bull
1:56.798
penalized for breaching parc fermé rules
Las Vegas Grand Prix: Verstappen - Norris - Russell
Dark. Dry. Air +17…16°C, track +18…16°C
The 2025 weekend in Las Vegas turned out to be more racing than glamorous. Two years ago Verstappen said the Vegas race is 99% show and 1% sport. Since then the proportions have changed.
Previously, to suit European broadcasts all sessions in Vegas were held at night, but Liberty Media backtracked and this year shifted the schedule two hours earlier. Effectively, it became a repeat of the Australian GP timetable.
In practice it became clear that last year's Mercedes dominance would not be repeated. On Friday (Thursday local time, but below — Moscow time) Leclerc and Norris led, Russell set the fastest lap on Saturday morning, and qualifying turned out to be very unusual.
At the start of qualifying it was raining; everyone expected many crashes and red flags on the waterlogged street track, but there were no incidents.
Dark. Dry. Air +17…16°C, track +18…16°C
The 2025 weekend in Las Vegas turned out to be more racing than glamorous. Two years ago Verstappen said the Vegas race is 99% show and 1% sport. Since then the proportions have changed.
Previously, to suit European broadcasts all sessions in Vegas were held at night, but Liberty Media backtracked and this year shifted the schedule two hours earlier. Effectively, it became a repeat of the Australian GP timetable.
In practice it became clear that last year's Mercedes dominance would not be repeated. On Friday (Thursday local time, but below — Moscow time) Leclerc and Norris led, Russell set the fastest lap on Saturday morning, and qualifying turned out to be very unusual.
At the start of qualifying it was raining; everyone expected many crashes and red flags on the waterlogged street track, but there were no incidents.
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Lando Norris: Max was faster today.
The outcome of the Las Vegas race was decided at the start, when in the battle with Max Verstappen Lando Norris went off the track and lost a position. After the finish the McLaren driver admitted that he had made a mistake...
Lando Norris (2nd): "I let Max win. (laughs) I let him go past, gave him the chance to have a good race!
Actually, I just braked too late — that was my mistake. At the first corner you need to act decisively, but I was too decisive. It cost me the win, but that happens sometimes. Not my best job, but when a rival beats you by 20 seconds, it means he simply managed it better, that his car was quicker.
I had a decent race, ran at a good pace, but Max was faster. Second place is a good result, I scored important points and I'm not too upset. I have to congratulate Max and Red Bull, they performed brilliantly, and now we'll prepare for the next round.
The race was interesting.
The outcome of the Las Vegas race was decided at the start, when in the battle with Max Verstappen Lando Norris went off the track and lost a position. After the finish the McLaren driver admitted that he had made a mistake...
Lando Norris (2nd): "I let Max win. (laughs) I let him go past, gave him the chance to have a good race!
Actually, I just braked too late — that was my mistake. At the first corner you need to act decisively, but I was too decisive. It cost me the win, but that happens sometimes. Not my best job, but when a rival beats you by 20 seconds, it means he simply managed it better, that his car was quicker.
I had a decent race, ran at a good pace, but Max was faster. Second place is a good result, I scored important points and I'm not too upset. I have to congratulate Max and Red Bull, they performed brilliantly, and now we'll prepare for the next round.
The race was interesting.
Russell: I wasn't sure the tires would last until the finish.
George Russell made it onto the podium in Las Vegas, finishing third. The Mercedes driver said he feared the set of tyres wouldn't hold up until the finish.
His teammate Kimi Antonelli finished fourth, but after a 5‑second penalty added for a false start he dropped to fifth in the classification.
George Russell (3rd): “When Max came out of the pits right in front of me, I thought I had a chance. He had cold tyres, and I attacked with everything I had.
I damaged the tyres, and from that moment I kept saying over the radio that I wasn't sure this set would last until the finish.
It was really tough for me. Not my best race, so a podium was probably the best I could do today.”
Kimi Antonelli (5th): “I had a very strong pace today, especially in the last ten laps.
George Russell made it onto the podium in Las Vegas, finishing third. The Mercedes driver said he feared the set of tyres wouldn't hold up until the finish.
His teammate Kimi Antonelli finished fourth, but after a 5‑second penalty added for a false start he dropped to fifth in the classification.
George Russell (3rd): “When Max came out of the pits right in front of me, I thought I had a chance. He had cold tyres, and I attacked with everything I had.
I damaged the tyres, and from that moment I kept saying over the radio that I wasn't sure this set would last until the finish.
It was really tough for me. Not my best race, so a podium was probably the best I could do today.”
Kimi Antonelli (5th): “I had a very strong pace today, especially in the last ten laps.
Verstappen: Everything was under control, I could attack
Max Verstappen won the Las Vegas Grand Prix — for him it was vitally important to remain among the title contenders. And the four-time world champion handled the task brilliantly...
Max Verstappen (1st): "It was a good race! Before the start we didn't know how the tyres would behave, and even during the race it was clear that everyone was trying to find the right rhythm and figure out how hard they could attack, especially in the first stint.
But everything worked out quite well, although we've had it tougher in this race before. Usually at this track our car hasn't worked best with the tyres, but it seems that today everything was under control and I could attack more aggressively.
Because of that the pace was a bit higher, I could stay out longer, so we split the race into two halves, and that definitely helped us.
Max Verstappen won the Las Vegas Grand Prix — for him it was vitally important to remain among the title contenders. And the four-time world champion handled the task brilliantly...
Max Verstappen (1st): "It was a good race! Before the start we didn't know how the tyres would behave, and even during the race it was clear that everyone was trying to find the right rhythm and figure out how hard they could attack, especially in the first stint.
But everything worked out quite well, although we've had it tougher in this race before. Usually at this track our car hasn't worked best with the tyres, but it seems that today everything was under control and I could attack more aggressively.
Because of that the pace was a bit higher, I could stay out longer, so we split the race into two halves, and that definitely helped us.
The stewards of the Las Vegas Grand Prix reviewed the collision between Gabriel Bortoleto and Lance Stroll at the start of the race. The Brazilian Sauber driver was late on the brakes before the first corner and, with his wheels locked, struck the Aston Martin driver. As a result of the contact, both retired from the race. The stewards' decision stated that Bortoleto should have received a 10-second penalty, but since he retired from the race the penalty was replaced with another — a five-place grid drop for the next race in Qatar. In addition, Gabriel received two penalty points, which were his first in Formula 1. One penalty point was also given to Alex Albon for a collision with Lewis Hamilton at Turn 14. The Williams driver now has five penalty points within a 12-month period.
Lewis Hamilton: This is my worst season ever.
After a disappointing qualifying, both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton scored points in the Las Vegas race. However, Ferrari are unhappy with sixth and tenth places – the deficit to Mercedes and Red Bull Racing in the fight for second place in the Constructors' Championship has increased by another 16 points.
Charles Leclerc (6th): “You can't call the result good. Sixth place is disappointing. On the other hand, I probably had the best race of the season from a driving standpoint. I drove every lap very well and made no mistakes. I'm very pleased with my performance, but sixth place is very disappointing.
I had problems on the straights – I lost a lot of speed compared to the guys ahead, and the DRS was activating very late. So I was losing a lot at the start of the straights, but then I realised I could claw back time under braking.
After a disappointing qualifying, both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton scored points in the Las Vegas race. However, Ferrari are unhappy with sixth and tenth places – the deficit to Mercedes and Red Bull Racing in the fight for second place in the Constructors' Championship has increased by another 16 points.
Charles Leclerc (6th): “You can't call the result good. Sixth place is disappointing. On the other hand, I probably had the best race of the season from a driving standpoint. I drove every lap very well and made no mistakes. I'm very pleased with my performance, but sixth place is very disappointing.
I had problems on the straights – I lost a lot of speed compared to the guys ahead, and the DRS was activating very late. So I was losing a lot at the start of the straights, but then I realised I could claw back time under braking.
Stella: You have to admit that Max and Red Bull were faster.
Andrea Stella acknowledged that in Las Vegas McLaren couldn’t keep up with Max Verstappen, but Lando Norris’s second place was perfectly acceptable to the British team.
Andrea Stella: “I think we have to admit that Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing were a bit quicker, although, of course, it would have been interesting to see how things would have developed if Lando had kept the lead and been on a clear track.
But to be honest, Max was faster than us in all conditions, so at some stage of the race we decided that second place was a fairly good result given the situation in the World Championship.
At the start Lando tried to defend his position, but, in my view, the grip on the inside of the track was worse than he expected. Still, that’s racing — in that incident we also lost a position to George Russell.
Andrea Stella acknowledged that in Las Vegas McLaren couldn’t keep up with Max Verstappen, but Lando Norris’s second place was perfectly acceptable to the British team.
Andrea Stella: “I think we have to admit that Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing were a bit quicker, although, of course, it would have been interesting to see how things would have developed if Lando had kept the lead and been on a clear track.
But to be honest, Max was faster than us in all conditions, so at some stage of the race we decided that second place was a fairly good result given the situation in the World Championship.
At the start Lando tried to defend his position, but, in my view, the grip on the inside of the track was worse than he expected. Still, that’s racing — in that incident we also lost a position to George Russell.
The Las Vegas race brought no points for Haas F1; the American team's drivers fought their rivals but finished just outside the top ten...
Esteban Ocon (11th): "There were a lot of positive moments today. I had a good race, but I didn't have the pace to score points. I spent almost the whole race battling Lewis Hamilton; in the second half of the race my car was quicker — a few more laps and I could have attacked him, but the race was over."
Oliver Bearman (12th): "The first lap went well, I got into a decent position, but after that I couldn't get the pace I needed from the car and I had problems in the slow corners. On the first stint I struggled to keep rivals behind and made mistakes because the car was not easy to drive. Switching to the Hard tyres improved things, but there was tyre graining."
Esteban Ocon (11th): "There were a lot of positive moments today. I had a good race, but I didn't have the pace to score points. I spent almost the whole race battling Lewis Hamilton; in the second half of the race my car was quicker — a few more laps and I could have attacked him, but the race was over."
Oliver Bearman (12th): "The first lap went well, I got into a decent position, but after that I couldn't get the pace I needed from the car and I had problems in the slow corners. On the first stint I struggled to keep rivals behind and made mistakes because the car was not easy to drive. Switching to the Hard tyres improved things, but there was tyre graining."
Leclerc explodes, Hamilton collapses, Vasseur remains silent.
"My God - f*ing embarrassing"
Ferrari’s season spiraled further into crisis in Las Vegas, as Charles Leclerc launched a sharp radio tirade following his disappointing ninth-place qualifying result. This outburst came just days after chairman John Elkann advised his drivers to "talk less." Leclerc expressed his frustration on the radio, stating, "My God - f*ing embarrassing." Once out of the car, he criticized Ferrari’s persistent struggles with wet-weather performance, saying, "We’ve had this problem for seven years. It’s so frustrating because it used to be my biggest strength in the junior categories. We’ve got Lewis, and before that Carlos, who came from other teams and could share insights about the other cars – yet we still don't seem to be making any progress.
"My God - f*ing embarrassing"
Ferrari’s season spiraled further into crisis in Las Vegas, as Charles Leclerc launched a sharp radio tirade following his disappointing ninth-place qualifying result. This outburst came just days after chairman John Elkann advised his drivers to "talk less." Leclerc expressed his frustration on the radio, stating, "My God - f*ing embarrassing." Once out of the car, he criticized Ferrari’s persistent struggles with wet-weather performance, saying, "We’ve had this problem for seven years. It’s so frustrating because it used to be my biggest strength in the junior categories. We’ve got Lewis, and before that Carlos, who came from other teams and could share insights about the other cars – yet we still don't seem to be making any progress.
Red Bull faces new departures from Verstappen's team.
"Only Lambiase remains now"
Max Verstappen's trusted engineering team has suffered another significant loss, as reported by De Telegraaf and De Limburger, which states that three additional members are leaving Red Bull. This leaves only race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase, who was alongside the four-time world champion on the podium in Las Vegas, for the 2026 season.
According to the report, control systems engineer Michael Manning, performance engineer Tom Hart, and engine engineer David Mart have all communicated their departures to the team. Mart will be heading to Audi, where he will join former Red Bull staff members Jonathan Wheatley, Lee Stevenson, and soon Matt Caller. Hart has accepted a senior position at Williams, a development described as unexpected internally. Only Lambiase remains from Verstappen's original four-person core team.
"Only Lambiase remains now"
Max Verstappen's trusted engineering team has suffered another significant loss, as reported by De Telegraaf and De Limburger, which states that three additional members are leaving Red Bull. This leaves only race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase, who was alongside the four-time world champion on the podium in Las Vegas, for the 2026 season.
According to the report, control systems engineer Michael Manning, performance engineer Tom Hart, and engine engineer David Mart have all communicated their departures to the team. Mart will be heading to Audi, where he will join former Red Bull staff members Jonathan Wheatley, Lee Stevenson, and soon Matt Caller. Hart has accepted a senior position at Williams, a development described as unexpected internally. Only Lambiase remains from Verstappen's original four-person core team.
Piastri downplays the social media 'incident.'
"I noticed it when I got up this morning."
Oscar Piastri's aspirations for the championship are faltering as the Australian's challenging stint at McLaren continues to decline, highlighted by a lackluster performance in the Las Vegas race. Meanwhile, teammate Lando Norris has solidified his status as the favorite for the title. Although Norris didn't convert his pole position into a victory on Saturday night, Piastri fell even further behind, now trailing Norris by a considerable 30 points with only two race weekends left.
Off the track, the situation worsened when Piastri was questioned about his decision to share—and subsequently delete—Bernie Ecclestone's assertion that McLaren favors Norris for commercial and national reasons. "I don’t know," Piastri responded in Vegas. "I saw it when I woke up this morning. Maybe it was an accident. It clearly wasn’t deliberate.
"I noticed it when I got up this morning."
Oscar Piastri's aspirations for the championship are faltering as the Australian's challenging stint at McLaren continues to decline, highlighted by a lackluster performance in the Las Vegas race. Meanwhile, teammate Lando Norris has solidified his status as the favorite for the title. Although Norris didn't convert his pole position into a victory on Saturday night, Piastri fell even further behind, now trailing Norris by a considerable 30 points with only two race weekends left.
Off the track, the situation worsened when Piastri was questioned about his decision to share—and subsequently delete—Bernie Ecclestone's assertion that McLaren favors Norris for commercial and national reasons. "I don’t know," Piastri responded in Vegas. "I saw it when I woke up this morning. Maybe it was an accident. It clearly wasn’t deliberate.
Fernando Alonso: The car had no pace in the race.
Fernando Alonso started seventh in Las Vegas, but the car lacked the pace to stay in the top ten, the Aston Martin driver said after the finish. His teammate Lance Stroll retired at the start when Gabriel Bortoleto collided with him in the first corner.
Fernando Alonso (13th): "A tough race in which the car had no pace. But we knew in advance that it would be difficult to score points on a dry track. Also, I lacked straight-line speed, so attacking and defending was hard. In any case, next week in Qatar we'll try to do everything we can. I hope we will fight for points."
Lance Stroll (retired): "Unfortunately I was taken out at the start of the race, so for me it was over in the first corner. That's racing — it sometimes happens. It's an unpleasant incident for Gabriel and for me, but he didn't do it on purpose, he's a good guy.
Fernando Alonso started seventh in Las Vegas, but the car lacked the pace to stay in the top ten, the Aston Martin driver said after the finish. His teammate Lance Stroll retired at the start when Gabriel Bortoleto collided with him in the first corner.
Fernando Alonso (13th): "A tough race in which the car had no pace. But we knew in advance that it would be difficult to score points on a dry track. Also, I lacked straight-line speed, so attacking and defending was hard. In any case, next week in Qatar we'll try to do everything we can. I hope we will fight for points."
Lance Stroll (retired): "Unfortunately I was taken out at the start of the race, so for me it was over in the first corner. That's racing — it sometimes happens. It's an unpleasant incident for Gabriel and for me, but he didn't do it on purpose, he's a good guy.