Lewis Hamilton admits he ‘didn’t do the job’ in Las Vegas GP qualifying

Lewis Hamilton said he “should have been on pole” but “didn’t do a good enough job” as he could only qualify 10th on the grid for Saturday night’s Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Team-mate George Russell took full advantage of Mercedes’ newfound pace in Nevada to take P1, the fourth pole of his career and his third of the season, while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen closed in on his fourth straight world title, qualifying fifth, just ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris.

Verstappen knows if he finishes in front of the McLaren this weekend, he will be crowned champion for a fourth year running. Norris knows he must outscore Verstappen by at least three points to take the title race to Qatar next weekend. “I don’t expect anything magical, for sure, but it’s a long race,” said Norris, who added that he had been “struggling every corner with something different”.

At least Norris is still in one championship. McLaren have a 36-point lead over Ferrari in the constructors’ championship as they attempt to wrap up their first team crown since 1998.

For Hamilton, this was a rare chance to shine ahead of his move to Ferrari next year. The 39-year-old will be hugely disappointed to have blown his chances of pole, particularly after that “disaster of a weekend” in Brazil last time out.

Having topped both practice sessions on Thursday, Hamilton went quickest in Q2 and it looked as if it would be a straight fight between the seven-time world champion and Russell for pole. However, he made mistakes on both of his runs in Q3 and failed to set a competitive time.

“I didn’t do the job,” he admitted. “The car felt different in Q3 and stability was not there for some reason. I had it before. But ultimately I didn’t put the laps together.

“I should have been on pole but I am not. It is what it is. C’est la vie. You live to fight another day.”

Russell also made a small mistake on his first run in Q3, clipping the wall outside of Turn 5 and returning to the garage to change his front wing. But he managed to get back out in double-quick time, asking his race engineer to send him out last. It paid off as he claimed pole in 1min 32.312sec.

“Hats off to the guys in the garage because I thought I wasn’t going to make it back out,” he admitted later. “But we’ve been so quick all weekend. I knew if I did a clean lap it was going to be enough to secure a front row. We need to convert that into a win now.”

Russell – who now leads Hamilton 17-5 in qualifying this season – added it was a “big surprise” that Mercedes have been so quick this weekend. “I’m scratching my head,” he said. “We need to nail down why.”

The Briton was 0.098sec quicker than Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, while Alpine’s Pierre Gasly will start third and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc fourth.

Sergio Pérez’s miserable run of form continued as the Mexican exited in Q1 for a sixth time this season.

By a cruel twist of fate, RB’s Liam Lawson – the man widely expected to fill Pérez’s shoes at Red Bull next season – helped to put the Mexican in the drop zone. Poor Pérez cannot catch a break at the moment. No sooner was his exit confirmed than The Sphere, Las Vegas’ enormous entertainment venue which is covered in 580,000 square feet of LED panels, was lit up by an enormous image of the Mexican giving himself a thumbs-down. Formula One’s official X account reposted the image but it was later deleted.

Both Aston Martins also exited in Q1. Adrian Newey’s arrival cannot come too soon there.

Meanwhile, a huge crash involving Williams’ Franco Colapinto, another candidate for Pérez’s seat, brought a premature end to Q2. Williams’ mechanics, who are no doubt suffering recurring nightmares from the repair bill of over $3 million that the team racked up at the last race in Brazil, looked absolutely crestfallen.

It remains to be seen whether Colapinto will race. The Argentine sustained an impact of more than 50G, requiring a medical check-up and he will need to be evaluated again on Saturday.

08:00 AM GMT

And a reminder of the drivers’ standings

If Verstappen leaves Las Vegas with a 60-point lead (or more) over Norris then he is champion. Norris, then needs to finish ahead of him at least.

07:55 AM GMT

A reminder of those constructors’ standings

07:53 AM GMT

Lando Norris reacts to sixth

On the championship:

07:51 AM GMT

Carlos Sainz speaks

07:49 AM GMT

Lewis Hamilton: ‘It is what it is’

Another tough session for Hamilton. He made mistakes on both of his runs and that was the difference. He has been making quite a few recently. As he has outright said, he is looking forward to this season being over and you can see why.

07:46 AM GMT

Toto Wolff speaks

07:42 AM GMT

Speaking of constructors’ standings

A poor qualifying session by McLaren gives Ferrari a chance at closing down the gap to the leaders.

36 points the gap currently. If they finish where they start that gap would roughly halve to 18 points, depending on where the fastest lap point went. A lot of pressure on McLaren...

07:35 AM GMT

Gasly reacts to this third

It’s unbelievable. We didn’t think we’d be able to get into the top threw in quali. A lot of adrenaline, a lot of excitement. I knew it was a good lap... really happy. I was getting cold in the car, we had to wait so long before Q3 I just wanted to get going. The car felt great, it’s incredible for the team following the double podium in Brazil.

Another good opportunity for Alpine to score a hefty points haul tomorrow. They are in a fight with Haas and RB for sixth in the constructors and currently lead the former by three points and the latter by five.

07:32 AM GMT

Why Hamilton’s last lap time was deleted

07:31 AM GMT

Russell reacts to a fourth career pole

07:26 AM GMT

That was a tight battle for the McLarens

Albeit they were fighting an RB and a Haas, rather than Ferrari and Mercedes. Just 0.054sec separated Norris in sixth from Hulkenberg in ninth. Not really sure what happened to them. That is a poor qualifying. Not sure if it’s their worst of the season but it surely must be their worst for quite a while.

07:25 AM GMT

Q3 - Classification

1. RUS 1:32.312

2. SAI +0.098

3. GAS +0.352

4. LEC +0.471

5. VER +0.485

6. NOR +0.696

7. TSU +0.717

8. PIA +0.721

9. HUL +0.750

10. HAM +15.794

07:24 AM GMT

GEORGE RUSSELL TAKES POLE POSITION FOR THE LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX

Yes he does! Less than a tenth of a second faster than Sainz but that is all it needs! A superb lap under pressure.

Hamilton only 10th making a mess of both laps. His second hot lap was deleted after the first one included a big mistake.

Sainz second, Gasly third in the end.

07:23 AM GMT

Q3 - Hamilton only 10th!

Sainz onto provisional pole! Gasly onto the front row for now...

Verstappen fourth! Russell is currently fifth... can he improve?

07:22 AM GMT

Q3 - Piastri improves to third

A consistent lap. Norris moves onto the front row but Leclerc goes onto provisional pole! Russell needs to find something here...

07:21 AM GMT

Q3 - Piastri a couple of tenths down in sector one

He lost time in the later part of the lap, I believe so that may not be a terrible time. Leclerc a long way back after sector one, too. Was there a mistake? These sector times are not getting much quicker. Norris three-tenths down on Russell after two sectors. Leclerc does go quickest of all in sector two, though...

07:20 AM GMT

Q3 - Final runs under way

Replays show Russell hit the wall on his previous run. Not heavily but it wasn’t exactly a light kiss, either.

07:18 AM GMT

Q3 - Russell wants to be at the back of the pack on the final runs

There is a lot of lap time for most of these runners to find. Leclerc slid through turn seven and ended up a second down nearly.

07:17 AM GMT

Q3 - Order and gaps after the first runs

1. RUS 1:32.811

2. SAI +0.211

3. VER +0.404

4. NOR +0.426

5. PIA +0.709

6. GAS +0.814

7. HUL +0.960

8. LEC +0.986

9. TSU +1.246

10. HAM +15.295

07:16 AM GMT

Q3 - Verstappen looks in contention here

Well, after two sectors he does anyway. Still plenty of time left in this lap and indeed the session. Verstappen moves second, but 0.193sec off Sainz’s time.

Russell, though, beats them all and becomes the first man in Q3 to set a 1:32 lap time. 

What happened to Hamilton’s lap? He locked up and went straight on somewhere... he returns to the pits having not set a representative lap time.

07:14 AM GMT

Q3 - It’s a 1:33.520sec for Piastri

Not a great lap, really. Much slower than where he was in Q2. Norris goes 0.283sec faster than Piastri. Leclerc is slower than both of them but Sainz is on a flyer...

Yep it is a fine lap. Sainz beats Norris by two tenths to move quickest of all.

07:13 AM GMT

Q3 - Piastri with a good first sector

Norris pretty much matches it, as does Leclerc. Sainz beats it, though, by about a tenth...

07:11 AM GMT

Q3 begins!

12 minutes. Not really sure who will get pole here. Mercedes look strong. If Russell or Hamilton nail their lap it will probably be one of them. We haven’t seen all McLaren have got, I do not think.

07:08 AM GMT

We are nearly ready go get going

Just over a minute until Q3 and the pole position shoot-out begins.

07:05 AM GMT

Barrier repairs completed

The track is just having a final sweep and then we should be under way shortly.

06:56 AM GMT

How Colapinto’s car currently looks

06:54 AM GMT

Sergio Perez speaks

06:51 AM GMT

A big effort to get those cars ready for this race

A shame that it ends like this.

We are also looking at barrier repairs here as well as the debris all over the track. That could be a significant delay.

06:48 AM GMT

A lot of debris to clear up

The start of Q3 will be delayed. By how long, not sure but I don’t think it will be that immediate.

06:45 AM GMT

Q2 - Classification

1. HAM 1:32.567

2. SAI +0.144

3. RUS +0.212

4. GAS +0.312

5. LEC +0.449

6. PIA +0.457

7. VER +0.518

8. TSU +0.522

9. NOR +0.532

10. HUL +0.547
    ELIMINATED:

11. OCO

12. MAG

13. ZHO

14. COL

15. LAW

06:44 AM GMT

Colapinto just clipped the wall on the inside...

And that spat him out into the barrier at the other end of the chicane, making a real mess of his FW46. The first crash of the weekend, remarkably.

06:43 AM GMT

Q2 - COLAPINTO CRASHES!

We cut to a camera showing the Williams sliding down the track with the front and rear caved in and the wheels all over the place. That is the end of his session and another expensive crash for a team who has had many of them this season and especially recently.

That will be the end of the session.

What happened, though?

06:41 AM GMT

Q2 - Piastri improves

He’s into fourth and 0.143sec off Russell who remains the fastest man. In fact he improves his lap time by a few tenths on his latest run. That said, Hamilton beats that shortly after.

Zhou puts in a lap good enough for 11th... for now.

06:40 AM GMT

Q2 - Top 10 and gaps

1. RUS 1:32.881

2. HAM +0.084

3. LEC +0.135

4. VER +0.204

5. NOR +0.218

6. PIA +0.256

7. SAI +0.267

8. HUL +0.392

9. TSU +0.603

10. MAG +0.640

Gasly, Colapinto, Ocon, Lawson and Zhou in the drop zone.

06:38 AM GMT

Q2 - McLaren not really anywhere in this session so far

Norris’s first sector on his latest hot lap isn’t brilliant and he is nearly half a second off after two sectors. Don’t know if he will abort this lap but it doesn’t look like he has. He does find some time in the final sector, though to move fifth from seventh.

06:36 AM GMT

Q2 - Five minutes remain

Russell has just moved fastest, Hamilton just behind him and Leclerc then moves into third. Sainz’s first hot lap was not brilliant. He is down in sixth 0.267sec off Russell. Not awful by any means, though.

06:34 AM GMT

Q2 - Looks like a competitive lap from Verstappen

He has not had many of those so far this weekend. He goes fastest of all by 0.051sec. So 0.052sec separating the top three and 0.188sec the top five.

These lap times will tumble, though.

06:33 AM GMT

Q2 - Early order

1. HAM

2. PIA

3. VER

4. NOR

5. HUL

6. TSU

7. MAG

8. RUS

9. GAS

10. COL

Ocon, Lawson, Zhou and the two Ferraris in the drop zone but the Ferraris have not set a lap time yet.

06:32 AM GMT

Q2 - Verstappen into third

Within a tenth of Hamilton. Piastri into second, within a thousandth of Hamilton. Good stuff, this. Enjoying it, even at this strange hour for a Stateside race.

06:30 AM GMT

Q2 - Hamilton leads the way

Hulkenberg 0.137sec behind him, just before Norris slots into second, a hundredth of a second or so ahead of the German Haas river.

06:30 AM GMT

Ouch

06:28 AM GMT

Q2 begins - 15 mins remain

Ferrari were the pre-weekend favourites but Mercedes seem to be the team to be over one lap so far.

06:26 AM GMT

Q2 is about to begin

It will be fascinating. It’s close up front and pretty much everywhere else, too.

06:24 AM GMT

Zhou’s best qualifying performance for quite a while

20th in the last eight races before this, but he is now through to Q2.

06:22 AM GMT

Q1 - Classification

1. RUS 1:33.186

2. HAM +0.039

3. VER +0.113

4. LEC +0.260

5. PIA +0.264

6. SAI +0.298

7. NOR +0.406

8. GAS +0.505

9. COL +0.560

10. TSU +0.603

11. HUL +0.734

12. OCO +0.782

13. MAG +0.805

14. ZHO +0.893

15. LAW +0.901

06:21 AM GMT

Q1 ends - drivers out

PER, ALO, ALB, BOT, STR

06:20 AM GMT

Q1 - Mercedes exchanging lap times at the top of the timesheets

Hamilton first and then Russell, by 0.039sec. Verstappen is in third and is not out on track.

His team-mate Perez back in the bottom five and looking at his first sector times he is not on another hot lap. That is Perez out!

06:19 AM GMT

Q1 - Perez goes 12th

Will that be enough? Maybe, but it looks doubtful. Only needs four drivers below him to improve and for him not to and it’s curtains for his qualifying session.

06:18 AM GMT

Q1 - All 20 cars on track

Aston Martin have done a sterling job to get their man out there. Perez has a dodgy first sector. His second sector isn’t brilliant, either. He may well have another go at this, though.

Here’s the current top 10:

1. VER

2. RUS

3. LEC

4. PIA

5. SAI

6. NOR

7. HAM

8. GAS

9. HUL

10. MAG

06:16 AM GMT

Q1 - Magnussen into the top 10

Hulkenberg too, in ninth. Perez has now been dropped into the elimination zone as Zhou moves up. These are the sorts of tracks where the Mexican normally excels. He has not done a lot of excelling recently, though.

Verstappen goes fastest by 0.064sec, just ahead of Russell. 

06:15 AM GMT

Q1 - Four mins remain

Bottas, Ocon, Magnussen, Hulkenberg and Stroll in the drop zone. The last three of that group have yet to set a lap time but the two Haas cars are now out on track.

06:13 AM GMT

Q1 - Half-decent is a good work to describe that lap

Pretty tidy from Verstappen but he’s fourth, 0.350sec off Piastri’s best time of the session so far. Russell then moves fastest by just less than a tenth of a second from Piastri. Would be good to see Mercedes fighting for a win here again.

06:13 AM GMT

Q1 - Current top 10

1. PIA

2. SAI

3. NOR

4. LEC

5. HAM

6. TSU

7. ALO

8. RUS

9. VER

10. ALB

Verstappen on a half-decent lap...

06:12 AM GMT

Q1 - What can Ferrari do?

Well, Leclerc goes fastest of all but is then nudged down by the McLarens on their second hot laps. Significantly, in fact. About 0.350sec in Norris’s case and half a second in Piastri’s case. The Australian sits at the top of the standings. No action from either Haas nor Lance Stroll whose Aston Martin is being rebuilt after an issue in final practice.

06:10 AM GMT

Q1 - Verstappen about to finish his first flyer

It’s... OK. Fifth and just under three-tenths behind Piastri’s fastest time. Albon completes a good lap, just a smidgen behind Verstappen, his former team-mate (that seems like a long time ago).

06:09 AM GMT

Q1 - Indeed an Alpine at the top did not last long

The McLarens are the ones now ahead, with Piastri 0.03sec ahead of team-mate Lando Norris. Hamilton and Russell are between 0.18sec and 0.29sec behind them respectively in third and fourth.

06:07 AM GMT

Q1 - Alpine leading the way so far

Gasly with a 1:34.058 but I am not sure that will stay there for long...

06:06 AM GMT

Q1 - Zhou leads the way so far

Only really two drivers to have set a representative lap time, though, with the rest doing one out lap, one preparation lap to get the tyres up to temperature and then their hot lap, which are beginning now.

06:04 AM GMT

Q1 - Mercedes out there on medium tyres

This is apparently to scrub them for (potential) use in the race tomorrow.

06:01 AM GMT

GREEN LIGHT: Q1 is go!

Plenty of cars out there early on, as you would expect. The track does look rather good under the lights.

06:00 AM GMT

Good morning F1 fans

Welcome to our live coverage for today’s qualifying session for the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix. It’s the second event at this track and whilst there were a few organisational problems and challenges with the maiden edition, the race was actually pretty good in the end. Let’s hope for more of that this weekend.

It looks likely that this will be the weekend that Max Verstappen confirms his fourth world drivers title for Red Bull. For most of the season Lando Norris had been trying to reel him in (and partly succeeding) but a topsy turvey weekend in Brazil when the Dutchman won in the rain put the title almost within his grasp. It was a big ask but it would have been nice for it to at least go down to the final round.

So far in the three practice sessions we have had a Mercedes at the top of the timesheets. That has not happened very much at all in the past three seasons but perhaps the peculiarities of the track and conditions are playing into their hands. In FP3 George Russell was fastest and in both of Friday’s sessions it was Lewis Hamilton.

Whilst they made a breakthrough of sorts in the middle of the season with three victories, they have fallen back to being the fourth quickest team in recent times. Maybe Hamilton will have one last shot at victory with the Silver Arrows before he departs for Ferrari.

Anyway, qualifying starts about now and we will be here for all of the live updates and reaction from it.