With just three rounds remaining, Formula 1 heads to the streets of Las Vegas for the Las Vegas Grand Prix as the championship battle nears its climax. Lando Norris will be seeking to extend his lead at the front and leave Vegas with the possibility of securing his first championship next time out in Qatar.
His teammate though will look to narrow the 24 point deficit to Norris while Verstappen will look to close the gap to the two McLaren’s.
What to expect
Off the back of a resurgence in form Norris arrives in the US for the third time this season looking to extend his lead at the top of the championship standings.
A triumphant performance in Brazil sees the British driver 24 points clear of Piastri in second and 49 points ahead of Verstappen in third.
Yet the McLaren driver has struggled in the last two visits to the streets of Navada. Having retired in 2023 following a violent crash, Norris came in sixth last time out as the Mercedes pair of Hamilton and Russell dominated.
Historically the Silver Arrows have had the upper hand. Victory last time out with victor Russell over 11 seconds clear of Sainz in third reflected Mercedes’ strength around Vegas.
With Antonelli showing progress in Brazil with a podium in the sprint and Grand Prix the German team will fancy their chances of a strong result here as they look to extend their advantage over Red Bull and Ferrari in the constructors standings.
Red Bull will also arrive with confidence having dominated the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix in 2023. While Tsunoda continues to struggle the natural pace of Verstappen can never be counted out.
Ferrari will look to bounce back from a horrendous weekend in Brazil which saw both cars retire from the race, seeing them drop 36 points behind Mercedes in the constructors championship.
Elsewhere, Haas will look to continue their impressive pace. With the American team continuing to develop their car while others focus on their 2026 contendors, young Oli Bearman has seen a surge in performance.
Sixth in Brazil and fourth in Mexico provides reason for optimism heading into Vegas and the final three rounds.
Both VCARB drivers will look to perform with neither driver under contract for next year, Lawson seeking to retain his seat while Hadjar will be eyeing up the second Red Bull seat.
The Track
When Formula 1 arrived in Vegas many were sceptical of the circuit design.
Yet the 6.201km of track along with 17 corners and 2 DRS zones has provided thrilling races thus far.
Overtaking opportunities are primarily at the end of the two DRS zones heading into turns 5 and 14. However, turn 1 can provide an opportunity provided drivers followed close behind through the flat-out turn 17.
The 1.2-mile dash down the famous Las Vegas strip, passing iconic landmarks such as The Venetian and Bellagio Fountains will also provide some of the best viewing spots on the calendar.
Weather forecast
Videos circulating online showed flash flooding along the Vegas strip just hours before FP1. However, any concern of a flooded event appear to be at a minimal.
Rain all throughout Friday will mean a wet FP1 and FP2 is highly likely. Combine this with a dry Saturday and teams will have to maximise FP3 in order to gather data for Qualifying.
Sunday’s race though seems set to be wet as well, providing the first ever wet Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Temperatures will drop to well below 5 degrees and falling as low as 2 degrees meaning tyre warm up will be incredibly difficult.
Last time out
Last year it was the Mercedes pair who dominated precedings under the dazzling lights of Las Vegas.
George Russell claimed victory, over seven seconds clear of teammate Hamilton. The British driver securing Mercedes’ first pole and win in four months.
Carlos Sainz secured third place for Ferrari ahead of his teammate in fourth.
The streets of Vegas also witnessed history as Max Verstappen wrapped up his fourth world title having finished fifth overall.
It was a dismal weekend for the McLaren duo who came home sixth and seventh.
Despite starting a phenomenal third, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly endured a torrid race. The Frenchman slipped down to sixth before his engine failed dramatically on lap 16.
Feature image courtesy of Formula 1