Las Vegas, Nov 23: Mercedes driver George Russell delivered a stunning performance to claim pole position for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, narrowly beating Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz by just 0.098 seconds. The result marked Russell’s first pole since the British Grand Prix in July and Mercedes’ best showing in months.

Mercedes looked strong throughout the weekend, with Lewis Hamilton dominating the early practice sessions and Russell topping the charts on Saturday morning. However, it was Russell who emerged as the star in qualifying.

The Briton's session was far from smooth. Early in Q3, he clipped the wall, damaging his front wing and forcing a quick repair in the garage. But instead of faltering, Russell regrouped, insisting on going out last in the final shootout to take full advantage of the improving track conditions.

His decisive lap of 1:32.312 edged out Sainz's 1:32:410, who had held the provisional pole for much of the session.

Speaking after qualifying, Russell expressed his elation: “It’s an incredible feeling to be on pole here in Vegas. The team has worked tirelessly, and after hitting the wall, I knew I had to stay calm and deliver when it counted. Thankfully, everything came together in the end.”

The top three saw an unexpected contender in Alpine’s Pierre Gasly 1:32:664, who secured a remarkable third place. Gasly’s performance shocked the paddock, as Alpine had not been tipped to challenge the front-runners this weekend.

Behind Gasly, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc endured a frustrating session. Mistakes on his first and final laps hindered his progress, yet he salvaged fourth place, hinting that a shot at pole was within reach had things gone differently.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, starting will start Sunday's race from fifth place, found himself unusually off pace. The reigning champion was unable to extract the best from his car, trailing behind title rival Lando Norris of McLaren, who starts sixth. For Norris, the stakes are high, as he must finish ahead of Verstappen in Sunday’s race to keep his title hopes alive heading into the next round in Qatar.

For Hamilton, qualifying was a bitter pill to swallow. The seven-time world champion topped the second session, raising hopes of a front-row start, but two critical mistakes in Q3 left him languishing in 10th. Hamilton admitted post-session that he was “frustrated” with himself and had “let the team down” at a crucial moment.

Elsewhere, Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda secured an impressive seventh place, outpacing McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in eighth. Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg delivered a solid performance to take ninth, ahead of Hamilton.

The final Q3 shootout was delayed by nearly 30 minutes after a crash by Williams rookie Franco Colapinto at the end of Q2. The incident led to an extended red flag period as marshals cleared the track, adding to the tension of an already dramatic evening.

Las Vegas GP Qualifying: Top 10

1) George Russell, Mercedes: 1:32:312

2) Carlos Sainz, Ferrari: 1:32:410

3) Pierre Gasly, Alpine: 1:32:664

4) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari: 1:32:783

5) Max Verstappen, Red Bull: 1:32:797

6) Lando Norris, McLaren: 1:33:008

7) Yuki Tsunoda, RB: 1:33:029

8) Oscar Piastri, McLaren: 1:33:033

9) Nico Hulkenberg, Haas: 1:33:062

10) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes: 1:48:106

(IANS)

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