Helmut Marko admitted that Red Bull were expecting Max Verstappen to take pole position for the 2025 F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, but says a mistake on their part left him settling for second.
Verstappen will line up second on the grid after McLaren’s Lando Norris snatched pole with a 1:47.934 late in the session, just edging out Verstappen’s earlier time of 1:48.257.
This year’s Las Vegas GP is the first time Norris can mathematically knock Verstappen out of championship contention. He needs to increase his current lead over Verstappen from 49 to at least 58 points to do so.
Red Bull Max Verstappen Q3 run plan error revealed after missing Las Vegas pole position
If Norris wins in Las Vegas, a second-place finish would be enough for Verstappen to stay mathematically alive in the championship. Still, his chances of keeping the title streak going look increasingly slim, with Oscar Piastri also 25 points ahead of him.
Verstappen’s chances at pole may have slipped away after Red Bull didn’t get his Q3 run plan quite right. Marko admitted Red Bull were expecting Verstappen to take it but said their tyre preparation wasn’t up to standard.
Speaking to Sky Germany, Marko said: “There was a lot going on. I admire all the drivers. Apart from [Williams’ Alex] Albon, no one crashed here, and the conditions were really, really difficult.
“After Q1 and Q2, we were actually expecting pole position, but the timing didn’t work out. We missed the final lap, the one Lando managed. That’s when the conditions were best.
“Our tyre cooling manoeuvre didn’t work properly,” he added “The traffic messes everything up. You need a relatively clear lap.”
Lando Norris overcame a late mistake to beat Max Verstappen by 0.323s for Las Vegas pole
Verstappen described the qualifying session as like “driving on ice,” after heavy rain soaked the circuit earlier in the day. Drivers started Q1 on full wet Pirelli tyres, but conditions gradually improved throughout the session.
Norris took advantage of the track improvements to set his pole time late in Q3, after Verstappen had already completed his final flying lap. But it wasn’t straightforward for the Briton, who nearly lost it despite being quick through the early parts of his lap.
Norris was quickest through sectors one and two, outpacing Verstappen by almost a second. But an oversteer moment as he exited Turn 12 nearly cost him. In the end, he held on to pole by just 0.323 seconds.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
