Las Vegas Grand Prix: F1 Qualifying Results

Las Vegas Grand Prix: F1 Qualifying Results

Formula 1 hits the Las Vegas strip for round 22 of the championship’s Qualifying session

Hannah May 5 min read

Who will come out on top during Qualifying in Sin City?

Las Vegas Qualifying RB
Yuki Tsunoda’s RB under the lights in Las Vegas Qualifying. (Image Credit: @visacashapprb on X)

So far this weekend, Mercedes have come out on top. Lewis Hamilton finished Free Practice 1 in first with a lap time of 1:35.001. He finished 0.396s ahead of his teammate George Russell, who came in second. Rounding out the top three for FP1 was McLaren’s Lando Norris.

The same three drivers also claimed the top three in Free Practice 2. Again, Hamilton was the fastest overall. However, this time in FP2, Russell and Norris swapped positions with the McLaren driver in P2 and the Mercedes driver in P3.

The Ferrari drivers appeared to struggle with the low-grip, slippery surface of the Las Vegas circuit. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz experienced difficulties getting their tyres up to temperature.

In Free Practice 3 earlier today, another Mercedes driver topped the session – this time it was George Russell’s turn. It was another McLaren driver in the top three, but this time Oscar Piastri, who finished the session in P2. Finally, completing the top three, Sainz overcame his tyre’s grip issues to finish third.

Q1

The first part of Qualifying began with a countdown clock displayed on the Las Vegas sphere.

Russell had opted for the medium tyre compound initially. Meanwhile, Pierre Gasly was on his flying lap in the pink Alpine. He crossed the line with a lap time of 1:43.773.

Shortly after, both Sauber drivers topped Gasly’s time for P1 (Zhou Guanyu) and P2 (Valtteri Bottas).

Sergio Perez was next in his Red Bull, setting green Sector 1 and 2 times. Piastri was close behind, also setting a green first sector. Perez crossed the line for P4. Piastri ended up in P1 after a purple Sector 2.

Next to cross the line, Norris set a P2 time behind his teammate. Mercedes were up next with Hamilton taking P3 and Russell P4.

At this point, neither Haas driver, Red Bull driver, nor Max Verstappen had set a time. This soon changed with a P5 time from Verstappen. Leclerc crossed the line with a time quick enough for P1, after a purple middle sector.

Piastri then came back to steal P1 from the Ferrari driver, followed by his teammate Norris who took back P2. Leclerc’s teammate Sainz was out on track and completed his lap for P2, splitting the McLarens.

With six minutes remaining, the top 10 were Piastri, Sainz, Norris, Leclerc, Hamilton, Yuki Tsunoda, Fernando Alonso, Russell, Verstappen, and Alexander Albon.

Verstappen then crossed the line after his next hot lap, quick enough to claim P4 and push Leclerc into P5. Next, Russell went fastest overall.

With four minutes remaining, the Haas pair were out to set their times. Kevin Magnussen crossed the line for P9 and Nico Hulkenberg for P9 pushing his teammate to tenth.

On his next lap, Verstappen went fastest overall with a 1:33.299. With two minutes remaining, Bottas, Franco Colapinto, Perez, Liam Lawson, and Lance Stroll were in the elimination zone. Perez was back out on track on a flying lap, with a chance to set another straight after as he would get to the line before the time ran out.

As the clock hit zero, Hamilton set the fastest time and was then replaced by his teammate Russell with a 1:33.186. Perez dropped out of the top 15 after Tsunoda set a P10 time in the RB. Tsunoda’s teammate Lawson was the driver at risk in P15 but was safe as the session ended.

Eliminated in Q1

16. Sergio Perez
17. Fernando Alonso
18. Alexander Albon
19, Valtteri Bottas
20. Lance Stroll

Q2

The second Qualifying session began with an early start from Verstappen.

Initial lap times saw Hamilton quickest overall, followed by Hulkenberg, Russell, Colapinto, Zhou, Verstappen, Ocon, Tsunoda, Lawson, and Magnussen. The five drivers in the bottom five were yet to set a time.

Norris then crossed the line for P2, shortly beaten by Verstappen for P2 pushing the McLaren driver to P3. Piastri then did the same, setting a P2 time and pushing Verstappen and his teammate down the order. Magnussen then went sicth fastest.

With nine minutes remaining, the only drivers yet to set a time were the two Ferrari drivers on their out laps. Verstappen set a purple Sector 1 and green Sector 2 on his next flying lap. The Red Bull driver crossed the line for P1 with a 1:33.085 lap time.

Next up, Russell set purple first and second sectors. His lap time was 1:32.881 for P1. Hamilton crossed the line just under a tenth slower than his teammate for P2. Sainz only managed P5 and was then demoted to P6 as his teammate crossed the line for P3.

With four minutes remaining, the drivers in the elimination zone were Gasly, Colapinto, Esteban Ocon, Lawson, and Zhou. Just three minutes left of the session, the order of the top 10 was Russell, Hamilton, Leclerc, Verstappen, Piastri, Sainz, Norris, Hulkenberg, Tsunoda, and Magnussen.

Piastri jumped up to P4 after his last flying lap. The clock hit zero and the drivers were on their final attempts. Russell then improved his P1 time.

Hamilton crossed the line for P1 and Sainz for P2. Zhou missed out on the top 10, putting himself in P11. Lawson came into the pits, failing to set a time.

A Yellow Flag was then shown in Sector 3 and the camera cut to Colapinto’s car against the barriers. His Williams was destroyed after clipping the wall on the inside. It was missing a tyre, had damage to two others, and was missing half its front wing.

The session’s time had already run out. However, Colapinto’s crash meant that drivers on their quick laps were unable to set a fast time. Therefore, the five drivers in the elimination zone were out of Qualifying.

Eliminated in Q2

11. Esteban Ocon
12. Kevin Magnussen
13. Zhou Guanyu
14. Franco Colapinto
15. Liam Lawson

Q3

After Colapinto’s crash, the start of the final part of Qualifying was delayed. Finally, the third Qualifying session began for the remaining 10 drivers. The race for pole position was on. Interestingly, the only team to have both drivers achieve pole position in 2024 so far is Ferrari.

Piastri was the first driver on a hot lap, followed by his teammate Norris, and Leclerc. Piastri finished P1, Verstappen then P2, and Norris put himself in P1. Next, Leclerc finished in P3, then Gasly beat him to P3, Tsunoda for P5, and Sainz for P1 with a 1:33.022.

Verstappen’s next lap was good enough for P2. The Mercedes drivers were up next. Russell crossed the line for provisional pole position. Then, Hamilton ran off during his quick lap after a big lockup, remaining in P10 and returning to the pits. His lap time was deleted.

A replay showed Leclerc abandoning his lap after a snap of oversteer and sliding at Turn 7. Another replay showed Russell skimming the wall.

With five minutes to go, the driver order was Russell, Sainz, Verstappen, Norris, Piastri, Gasly, Hulkenberg, Leclerc, Tsunoda, and Hamilton.

Two minutes remained on the clock and the drivers were back out on the circuit under the lights of Las Vegas. Piastri’s next lap saw him reach P3. His teammate then crossed the line for P2. Leclerc was next after a slow Sector 1 and purple Sector 2. The Ferrari driver put himself on provisional pole.

Sainz then beat his teammate for pole position and Gasly for P2. Verstappen crossed the line for P4. Last to cross the line, Russell put himself back in pole position.

Meanwhile, Russell’s teammate made an error on his lap. Therefore, Hamilton did not improve on his P10 time.

Results of Q3
  1. George Russell
    2. Carlos Sainz
    3. Pierre Gasly
    4. Charles Leclerc
    5. Max Verstappen
    6. Lando Norris
    7. Yuki Tsunoda
    8. Oscar Piastri
    9. Nico Hulkenberg
    10. Lewis Hamilton

Qualifying classification

Featured Image Credit:В?@redbullracing on X

One Comment

  1. Why are Red Bull prolonging the agony? Let Perez go now – he is useless. Time and time again he gets knocked out in Q1. Still, the longer he stays there, the better it is for those like myself who don’t support those bad boys of Formula one.

    Reply

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