Max to start Las Vegas Grand Prix from P2: 'It was really slippery'

Published on 22 November 2025 by Misha van der Kroon

Max Verstappen will start the Las Vegas Grand Prix from P2. On the wet Las Vegas Strip Circuit, Lando Norris took pole in his McLaren, with Carlos Sainz’s Williams in P3. George Russell and Oscar Piastri completed the top five. Max’s teammate at Oracle Red Bull Racing, Yuki Tsunoda, finished qualifying in P19.

“It was really slippery,” Max says after qualifying. “It’s already slippery when it’s dry, but in the wet, it’s not fun, I can tell you. I like driving in the rain, but this felt more like driving on ice, so it took a long time to get the tyres to work.”

Max continues: “I felt we were a bit more competitive on full wets, but the track improved, so we had to move on to the intermediates. I struggled a lot to have any kind of grip. On the final lap I took a bit more risk, but it was far from enough to go for pole.”

Looking ahead to Sunday’s race, the four-time World Champion adds: “Starting on the front row is good for us. I’m excited for tomorrow. I hope starting on the inside will be okay in terms of grip. We’ll see.”

At the start of Q1, it’s raining in Las Vegas, and the question is whether the drivers will go for full wets or intermediates. Fernando Alonso chooses full wets, as does his Aston Martin teammate Lance Stroll. Alonso posts the first time on the board, while Stroll immediately has his time deleted due to track limits.

“It feels like driving on ice,” Max reports over the radio, and he immediately returns to the pits to swap the intermediates for full wets. Almost everyone else on intermediates does the same. Yellow flags appear here and there, and with six minutes remaining, Max finds himself in the danger zone, alongside Tsunoda, Gabriel Bortoleto, Charles Leclerc, and Nico Hülkenberg. Max quickly works his way up to P8, and a lap later he’s in P1.

Just before the end of the Q1, Oliver Bearman goes off the track and hits a tyre barrier, while Alex Albon crashes into the wall, ending his session. Bearman is able to continue. When the flag comes out to signal the end of Q1, the drivers eliminated are Albon, Tsunoda, Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Antonelli, and Bortoleto. The top three at that moment are George Russell, Verstappen, and Alonso.

At the start of Q2, the rain has stopped but the track is still wet. The cars lining up to go out all have chosen for the full wet tyres. Only Piastri and Hülkenberg stay in their garages, the rest head straight out onto the circuit.

Norris sets the first time on the board, followed by Stroll and Russell. Max then sets the fifth time. A lap later, the reigning World Champion moves up to P1. Midway through the session, Isack Hadjar, Liam Lawson, Pierre Gasly, Franco Colapinto, and Nico Hülkenberg find themselves in the danger zone.

Stroll decides it’s time to switch to intermediates and is the first to make the change, while Max reclaims P1. At the end of Q2, the following drivers are eliminated: Hülkenberg, Stroll, Esteban Ocon, Bearman, and Colapinto. The top three are Russell, Hadjar, and Carlos Sainz, with Max in fifth.

At the start of Q3, all cars are on intermediates, and everyone except Russell is already out on the still-wet track after just a minute. When the first times hit the board, Sainz and Hadjar are on top, with Max in sixth. The track continues to improve, and the lead keeps changing hands.

With three minutes remaining, Piastri sets the fastest time ahead of Max and Sainz. Shortly after, Norris puts his McLaren on top. As the flag falls, Max jumps to P1, but a few cars are still on a fast lap, including Norris. In the end, Norris overtakes Max and secures pole position for tomorrow. Max finishes second, with Sainz in third.

Contest Las Vegas GP: win a by Max Verstappen signed Red Bull Racing cap!

Results qualifying Las-vegas: