Piastri ‘compromised’ in F1 Las Vegas GP qualifying, penalty drama could help Aussie
Oscar Piastri has copped another blow in his F1 title battle with Lando Norris in some frenetic scenes at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Oscar Piastri’s bid to make a comeback in the Formula One title fight has copped another blow after his McLaren teammate Lando Norris took pole position for the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
It was a frenetic qualifying in Las Vegas on Saturday afternoon (AEDT) as persistent rain made driving extremely difficult for the drivers in wet and cold weather.
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Piastri was half a second behind Norris on his second last lap but was denied a chance for a final flying lap due to a yellow flag and could only manage the fifth fastest lap time.
In his third lap in Q3, Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar didn’t see the yellow lights signal and raced up on the inside of Piastri, forcing the Aussie into the run-off area.
“It looked like he was trying to lunge him up the inside there,” Jenson Button said in commentary.
Sky Sports’ David Croft said: “Oscar Piastri has been compromised by the yellow flag that came out when Charles Leclerc went off at Turn 12.
“Piastri down in fifth. Lando Norris up in P1. I think Piastri might have spun, that also an issue down at Turn 12.”
“There was a few things at the start of the lap that didn’t go great from an operational point of view,” Piastri said after qualifying.
“I had to mess around with a few things that didn’t go how I wanted. I don’t know how much time there was in there, there was still three or four corners to go, difficult to say.
“But what I can say is there was more out there that I didn’t get to use.
“I think we can have a strong race tomorrow and hopefully make up some spots.”
2009 F1 world champion Jenson Button added: “He (Piastri) will be looking at that thinking, ‘What do I need t do? I remember putting it on pole position like that so many times this year’. But it’s been such a long time for him.
“Cream rises to the top. Norris and Verstappen, two championship rivals, P1 and P2.”
🚨 Lando Norris will officially continue his streak of never losing the qualifying H2H against his teammate.
— Daniel Valente ðŸŽï¸ (@F1GuyDan) November 22, 2025
2019: 11-10 vs. Sainz
2020: 9-8 vs. Sainz
2021: 15-7 vs. Ricciardo
2022: 20-2 vs. Ricciardo
2023: 15-7 vs. Piastri
2024: 20-4 vs. Piastri
2025: 12-10 vs. Piastri pic.twitter.com/xEQc8IJS2w
Max Verstappen was second fastest ahead of Williams’ Carlos Sainz and Mercedes’ George Russell.
Sainz is the only driver to qualify in the top three of every Las Vegas races so far, but he could be demoted down the grid after the stewards confirmed they were investigating the Spaniard for an unsafe rejoin to the track in Q2.
But Sainz escaped penalty and will start in third after Lance Stroll said he was not impeded.
This is the fourth race in a row where Piastri will start from outside the top three — he has not had a pole position since the Dutch Grand Prix in late August.
Norris leads the standings by 24 points from Piastri and 49 points from Verstappen with just three races remaining in the season.
“It was stressful as hell, it’s so slippery out there,” the Brit said after claiming pole position.
“This is scary in itself,” Button said of the wet conditions on Sky Sports.
“Two hundred miles an hour in the wet up the strip. It’s bouncy.
“It’s a much longer lap in the wet than it is in the dry.”
McLaren CEO Zak Brown added: “There are a few NHL players out here and it looks like an ice rink.
“That was horrific. I’m surprised there wasn't more incidents. Well done to all the Formula One drivers for showing how good they are.”
Earlier, Lewis Hamilton’s nightmare maiden season with Ferrari continued as he qualified in P20.
Lewis Hamilton is OUT of Qualifying! 😱
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 22, 2025
He is set to line up in P20 for tomorrow's Las Vegas Grand Prix #F1#LasVegasGPpic.twitter.com/aRR2bhkfS1
The seven-time world champion struggled to get his tyres up to temperature in the wet conditions and even ran over an orange cone as he swerved around the track in the rain.
It’s the first time Hamilton has qualified last on pure pace in his career.
Williams’ Alex Albon also sustained damage to his front wing when he brushed into the wall, and was unable to progress out of Q1.
F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix qualifying
1) Lando Norris, McLaren 2) Max Verstappen, Red Bull
3) Carlos Sainz, Williams 4) George Russell, Mercedes
5) Oscar Piastri, McLaren 6) Liam Lawson
7) Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin, 8) Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls
9) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari 10) Pierre Gasly
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