In Pictures: Las Vegas 2025
Luck didn’t have much to do with the outcome of the race, even if it took place in a city often referred to as the gambling capital of the world. The Las Vegas Grand Prix was the last of three rounds of this year’s world championship held in the United States, before the season wrapped up with the final two races in the Middle East. The timetable ran a day earlier than usual, with all sessions taking place at night under the floodlights.
As a result, the first two free practice sessions were held on Thursday, followed by the final practice session and qualifying on Friday, while the Grand Prix itself took place on Saturday night. All sessions started two hours earlier than they had the previous year. The Nevadan event once again delivered exciting racing with plenty of overtaking, thanks to a layout that includes a flat-out blast down the famous Strip.
THE TRACK
The race was run over 50 laps of the Las Vegas circuit, which features 17 corners and stands out for both its exceptionally high speeds and its technical demands. At 6.201 kilometers, it is the second-longest track on the calendar after Spa and one of the fastest in terms of average lap speed. In 2024, Alex Albon, driving for Williams, recorded the highest top speed of the season, 368 km/h, on the long straight between Turns 12 and 14. At the latter corner, drivers face heavy braking, making it one of the prime overtaking spots.
Almost 80% of the lap is taken at full throttle, with the cars blasting past iconic landmarks such as the Venetian and Caesars Palace, which hosted the first two Las Vegas Grands Prix. Those 1981 and 1982 editions were held on a circuit laid out in a parking lot, whereas today’s track runs along major city streets. As a result, street furniture and oil residue from everyday traffic reduce grip, meaning track evolution over the weekend tends to be particularly pronounced.
THURSDAY
During the first hour of practice under the lights at the Las Vegas Strip Circuit, Charles Leclerc topped the timesheets with a 1:34.802, followed by Alex Albon in the Williams and Yuki Tsunoda for Red Bull Racing. All teams ran very low, Monza-style downforce levels to suit the high-speed nature of this street circuit.
A few drops of rain before the start of FP2 had no real effect on track conditions, and the entire field headed out on Mediums—except for Gabriel Bortoleto in the Sauber, who began the session on Softs. With 20 minutes remaining, the red flags came out after a manhole cover was reported loose before Turn 17. Running resumed with six minutes left, but with only two minutes to go, the red flags were shown again for the same issue, and the track did not go green thereafter.
In the end, championship leader Lando Norris (McLaren) finished the first day of track action at the Las Vegas Grand Prix as the fastest driver, posting a 1:33.602 in the second session, held two hours earlier than last year. Kimi Antonelli was second for Mercedes, just 0.029 seconds off the McLaren, while Charles Leclerc ranked third for Ferrari. The Monegasque set his best time on Mediums—unlike the two ahead on Softs—and was 0.161 seconds slower than Norris. Leclerc ended the session parked in an escape road due to a technical issue.
FRIDAY
Overnight rain, followed by more precipitation in the morning, left the track too wet for slicks at the start of the final free practice session. All 20 drivers initially headed out on Intermediates. With cold conditions and a still-green surface, the circuit took a long time to dry. Norris was the first to try a run on Softs after roughly half an hour, but a proper dry line didn’t appear until the final 20 minutes, when the C5 compound finally became viable. George Russell topped the session for Mercedes with a 1:34.054, still well off the quickest FP2 time from the previous day, Norris’s 1:33.602.
Qualifying, held entirely in wet conditions, delivered a thrilling battle for pole. Lando Norris secured the top spot with a 1:47.934 in Q3, his sixth pole of the season and the 16th of his career. The championship leader lined up alongside one of his only two remaining title rivals, Max Verstappen, who qualified second for Red Bull Racing. Carlos Sainz was third for Williams, the Spaniard having qualified second for this race last year with Ferrari. Oscar Piastri, Norris’s McLaren teammate and currently second in the Drivers’ Championship, managed only fifth after being caught out by yellow flags.
SATURDAY
When the lights went out, Norris was overly aggressive defending his pole position and ran wide at the first corner, allowing Verstappen and Russell, who had overtaken Carlos Sainz, to move ahead of the McLaren. At half distance, lap 25 of 50, Verstappen had enough of a margin to pit for a switch from Mediums to Hards, a compound that proved very consistent. He rejoined comfortably ahead of second-placed Russell.
Kimi Antonelli produced one of the drives of the night, making up an impressive 13 positions to cross the line in fourth. A five-second penalty for jumping the start dropped him only one place, to fifth. The Italian completed all but two of the race’s 50 laps on the Hard compound.
Max Verstappen became the first driver to win more than once in Las Vegas, taking a commanding victory under the Nevadan night sky to add to his 2023 triumph. The result kept his Drivers’ World Championship hopes alive heading into the final two rounds of the season. Championship leader Lando Norris finished second on track for McLaren after losing his pole advantage to Verstappen at the start, with George Russell taking third for Mercedes.
For Verstappen, who started from second, it was his sixth win of the season and the 69th of his career. It also marked win number 128 for Red Bull Racing. With two Grands Prix and one Sprint remaining, the title fight remained open: Norris led with 390 points, just 24 ahead of his teammate Oscar Piastri and Verstappen.
A few hours after the race concluded, the stewards disqualified both McLarens for excessive plank wear, promoting the field behind them. The updated official podium became Verstappen, Russell, and Antonelli.
Excerpts and media courtesy of Pirelli S.p.A. and official Formula 1 Team Press Offices. All images are credited to their respective copyright holders and used for editorial purposes only.
