Norris takes chaotic pole position at rainy Vegas GP

A rain-soaked track made for a chaotic qualifying session Friday at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Championship leader Lando Norris took another step toward winning his first drivers' title by claiming pole position with an incredible lap time of 1:47.934 on his final trip around the circuit in Q3.

"It was stressful, stressful as hell," Norris said. "It's so slippery out there."

It's Norris' first career pole in Las Vegas and seventh pole of the season, tying him with Max Verstappen for most in 2025.

Verstappen will start Saturday's race alongside Norris at the front of the grid in second. The forecast for the race is expected to be clear.

"It was really, really slippery," Verstappen said. "It's not fun, I can tell you that. I like to drive in the wet, but this was like driving on ice - it took a long time to get the tires to work."

Oscar Piastri, who entered the weekend 24 points back of his McLaren teammate, qualified more than a second behind Norris and will start fifth. Piastri hasn't finished on the podium since Sept. 7 in Monza.

Norris cannot clinch the drivers' title in Las Vegas, but can win it as soon as the Qatar sprint race, depending on Saturday's result.

Lewis Hamilton's struggles continued. The Ferrari driver was bounced in Q1 and qualified 20th - his worst performance since 2017.

"Couldn't get the tires to work," Hamilton said over team radio.

George Russell won the Las Vegas Grand Prix last season when Mercedes finished 1-2.