The 2025 F1 Las Vegas GP qualifying was an intriguing affair where the wet tire made an appearance and was ironically a better option compared to the generic intermediate that has become the norm. The low-grip, low-temperature conditions were made worse when it rained, and it became even more slippery. Through all of this emerged Lando Norris, who once nailed everything as best as he could with the conditions on offer to secure pole position. The British driver was expecting a not-so-good race this time around, as the F1 Las Vegas GP had not been a happy hunting ground for McLaren. Looking at the conditions and the way the car worked, it’s safe to say that the driver would be happy to start the race at the front and try and shut the door on his title rivals. With that being said, the F1 Las Vegas GP qualifying is now done and dusted, and everyone gets ready for the race. Who would be happy with where they find themselves in the pecking order, and who would be a bit disappointed? Let’s take a look. 2025 F1 Las Vegas GP Winner Lando Norris Cometh the hour, cometh the champion? Well, it seems that way, as Lando Norris has slowly and steadily made it a habit to finish the most important weekends at the top of the timesheets. The F1 Las Vegas GP qualifying was just another one of those. The British driver is starting to perform like a driver worthy of winning the championship. Loser Oscar Piastri While Lando Norris continues to surge, his teammate Oscar Piastri is going through the exact opposite cycle, where the momentum has been sapped out of his title run. The Australian is a strong driver, but it does appear that he lacks that final tenth, which makes Lando lethal. The uphill task became even more improbable for Piastri after the F1 Las Vegas GP qualifying. Winner Carlos Sainz Carlos Sainz was questioned about the situation at Ferrari earlier in the weekend, and the Spaniard wisely opted not to say anything about that. In an outcome that would make his smile wider, Sainz qualified ahead of not one but both drivers from his former team. Once it was announced last season that Sainz would be dropped by Ferrari for Lewis Hamilton, there was a sense that the driver had an uphill task in front of him. A top 3 qualifying for the F1 Las Vegas GP just shows that things are moving in the right direction for him. Loser Lewis Hamilton Ferrari might not have a good car for these conditions, and the operations might not be the best within that team, but you cannot qualify in P20 and find it acceptable. It had not been too long when Ferrari boss John Elkann told drivers to focus on their driving and talk less. Unfortunately for Hamilton, the performance is just not acceptable. For a large part of the season, adapting to Ferrari was one of the things that was often used as a get-out-of-jail ticket for a lack of results. In the 22nd race of the season, those excuses are starting to wear thin. Winner Pierre Gasly Gasly can’t wait for 2026, it seems, but at the same time the French driver continues to serve reminders to anyone who has forgotten how good he is. The Alpine was semi-competitive this weekend, and the French driver found the lap time good enough to secure a Q3 slot. Loser Kimi Antonelli The F1 Las Vegas GP was ideally an opportunity for Kimi Antonelli to potentially put himself in contention for his first-ever win. Mercedes is expected to be strong here, and looking at what George Russell was accomplishing in the car, a strong result was on offer. Unfortunately, Kimi Antonelli messed up his qualifying in the F1 Las Vegas GP and would now start the race near the back of the grid. It’s just not ideal for the Italian, who came into the weekend with a load of momentum on his side.
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