STAR FORMULA 1 PREVIEW: Las Vegas Grand Prix 2025

As Formula One heads to the land of casinos, the three drivers who can win the World Championship are headed to the last chance saloon, writes WILLIAM KEDJANYI.

Max Verstappen must keep within nine points of Lando Norris – who is 49 points ahead with only the Qatar sprint weekend and the finale in Abu Dhabi to come after winning the sprint and Grand Prix at Interlagos last weekend – whilst Oscar Piastri is 24 points behind, and still a threat albeit with a need to find his best form quickly if he’s to take this to the wire.

---

2025 Formula 1 Heineken Las Vegas Grand Prix
Las Vegas Strip Circuit, USA
All coverage live on Sky Sports F1, Sky Go & NOW TV – times in UK time (GMT)

1️⃣ Free Practice 1: 00:30–01:30, Friday 21 November
2️⃣ Free Practice 2: 04:00–05:00, Friday 21 November
3️⃣ Free Practice 3: 00:30–01:30, Saturday 22 November
⏰ Qualifying: 04:00–05:00, Saturday 22 November
🏆 Race: 04:00, Sunday 23 November
🎰 STARSPORTS.BET LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX MARKETS 🎰

---

Standings 📊

Driver / Car / Points:
Lando Norris 🇬🇧 (McLaren) – 17 podiums, 7 wins, 390 points
Oscar Piastri 🇦🇺 (McLaren) – 14 podiums, 7 wins, 366 points
Max Verstappen 🇳🇱 (Red Bull) – 12 podiums, 5 wins, 341 points
George Russell 🇬🇧 (Mercedes) – 8 podiums, 2 wins, 276 points
Charles Leclerc 🇲🇨 (Ferrari) – 7 podiums, 0 wins, 214 points
Lewis Hamilton 🇬🇧 (Ferrari) – 0 podiums, 0 wins, 148 points
Kimi Antonelli 🇮🇹 (Mercedes) – 2 podiums, 0 wins, 122 points
Alexander Albon 🇹🇭 (Williams) – 0 podiums, 0 wins, 73 points
Nico Hülkenberg 🇩🇪 (Sauber) – 1 podium, 0 wins, 43 points
Isack Hadjar 🇫🇷 (Racing Bulls) – 1 podium, 0 wins, 43 points
Oliver Bearman 🇬🇧 (Haas) – 0 podiums, 0 wins, 40 points
Fernando Alonso 🇪🇸 (Aston Martin) – 0 podiums, 0 wins, 40 points
Carlos Sainz 🇪🇸 (Williams) – 0 podiums, 0 wins, 38 points
Liam Lawson 🇳🇿 (Racing Bulls) – 0 podiums, 0 wins, 36 points
Lance Stroll 🇨🇦 (Aston Martin) – 0 podiums, 0 wins, 32 points
Esteban Ocon 🇫🇷 (Haas) – 0 podiums, 0 wins, 30 points
Yuki Tsunoda 🇯🇵 (Red Bull) – 0 podiums, 0 wins, 28 points
Pierre Gasly 🇫🇷 (Alpine) – 0 podiums, 0 wins, 22 points
Gabriel Bortoleto 🇧🇷 (Sauber) – 0 podiums, 0 wins, 19 points
Franco Colapinto 🇦🇷 (Alpine) – 0 podiums, 0 wins, 0 points
Jack Doohan 🇦🇺 (Alpine) – 0 podiums, 0 wins, 0 points

🏎️ Constructors:
🏆 McLaren – 31 podiums, 14 wins, 756 points
🟦 Mercedes – 10 podiums, 2 wins, 398 points
🐂 Red Bull – 12 podiums, 5 wins, 366 points
🔴 Ferrari – 7 podiums, 0 wins, 362 points
🔵 Williams – 1 podium, 0 wins, 111 points
🐂 Racing Bulls – 1 podium, 0 wins, 82 points
🟢 Aston Martin – 0 podiums, 0 wins, 72 points
🇺🇸 Haas – 0 podiums, 0 wins, 70 points
🟢 Sauber – 1 podium, 0 wins, 62 points
🟣 Alpine – 0 podiums, 0 wins, 22 points

---

Pre-Weekend Prediction 🗣️

This weekend’s action is so vital because Las Vegas – a unique spectacle in it’s own right – is the last track that gives a clear advantage to rival teams over McLaren. Last year, affected by cold tyres, graining and a lack of straight-line speed relevant to others, they struggled badly, with Norris finishing sixth (over half a minute behind Max Verstappen, who sealed his fourth world title in a row that day) whilst Oscar Piastri was well behind Norris in seventh.

This year, the MCL-39 is faster and both Norris and Piastri, despite the latter’s struggles, are better drivers, but straight-line speed and low grip circumstances have been a weakness (particularly for the latter’s driving style) and this is a rare chance to oppose the pair of them with a relative amount of confidence.

The two teams to benefit when McLaren haven’t been fastest have been Red Bull/Max Verstappen, and Mercedes, with the seven wins that haven’t gone to either Norris or Piastri taken by those two teams.

The straightline speed of the Red Bull is a tremendous advantage at a circuit without much conering and it would be no surprise if he were to come out on top – the speed he showed in Brazil from the pitlane when Red Bull had made their setup changes was extraordinary. However, Vegas’ low grip and cool track temperatures offer a massive opportunity to Mercedes, with both George Russell and Kimi Antonelli of serious interest.

Russell was a dominant winner here last year, whilst Lewis Hamilton (still at Mercedes) produced one of his best Ground Effect era performances to take second, having started 10th. The W16 this year has been a fast car, but one which had struggled with tyre and brake temperature control before an abandoned attempt at a suspension change.

In cooler conditions – both air and track – and lower grip setting the Mercedes is incredibly strong, as evidenced by Russell’s impressive wins in Montreal and Singapore (both also street circuits, albeit a description that applies much more to Singapore) whilst he was second from fifth in Baku when dealing with illness.

The Mercedes cannot be expected to be as dominant this season as they were last year – other cars have changed their characteristics – but they have not lacked for pace and they have the perfect conditions here, whilst both drivers were very fast at Interlagos over one lap and race pace.

Russell’s street track form this year reads 3 / 5 / 2 / DNF / 1 / 2 / 1, with the DNF in Monaco coming after a power issue in qualifying turned his race into a farce. He had the peace advantage over Verstappen in Canada and Singapore and 4/1 with starsports.bet about him taking overall victory still looks on the generous side after early market support.

Kimi Antonelli’s street circuit form reads 4 / 6 / 5 / DNF / 3 / 4 / 5, but he was faster than Russell on merit at Interlagos and is value at 9/1 for victory and 6/4 for a podium here. As expected his season has been one of steady improvement and with a clear run he’s closed the gap to Russell in race pace – if the Mercedes performs as expected then hopes of a first victory are not outlandish.

The Ferrari SF-24 performed very well last year here and they’ve made certain steps forward but a lack of qualifying pace has put them on the back foot and their street track form has not been at the same level in 2025 as it has in 2024. Ferrari’s straightline speed has been strong but at Baku they struggled to overcome poor qualifying results and on balance, they can be opposed.

🚦 Track Guide:

Weather 🌥️

🏎️ Thursday – FP1 and FP2
Conditions: Partly cloudy at first, becoming cloudier in the afternoon. Increasing chance of rain from the late afternoon until Friday, with a moderate chance of light rain for FP2. Light south-easterly wind. FP1: 14°C // FP2: 12°C
Maximum temperature expected: 15°C
Minimum temperature expected: 8°C
Chance of rain: 40%

🏎️ Friday – FP3 and Qualifying
Conditions: Partly to mostly cloudy with a significant chance of showers until the late afternoon. Chance of rain decreasing for the sessions, especially for Qualifying. Light north-westerly wind. FP3: 14°C // Q: 12°C
Maximum temperature expected: 15°C
Minimum temperature expected: 9°C
Chance of rain: 40%

🏎️ Saturday – Race
Conditions: Mainly sunny day. Starry and dry race expected. Light north-westerly wind. Race start: 14°C
Maximum temperature expected: 17°C
Minimum temperature expected: 9°C
Chance of rain: 0%

🚦 The Practice Picture:

The first two practice sessions often provide vital information to the running order but the first two free practices in Vegas may be amongst the least informative of the season due to a number of factors.

There was no long running in FP2, which ended early due to a problem with the Turn 16-17 drain cover. When that session was red flagged, Lando Norris and Kimi Antonelli were the only two drivers from the top four teams who got their soft C5 laps in, so they finished first and second, barely separated on the timesheets.

George Russell was about to go faster before having to abandon for the red flag while Oscar Piastri, Max Verstappen and the Ferraris were all either on outlaps or early into their timed laps – as such we don’t have a clear reading into one lap pace, or a least not for the same time qualifying will take place.

Vegas’ characteristics – a dusty circuit with cold surface temperatures and a huge amount of track evolution – meant that FP1 wasn’t as revealing as it would be on a normal weekend, although the pre-race call to oppose Ferrari is looking a little foolhardy now given Charles Leclerc’s pace (topped the timesheets in FP1, and was third in FP2 on mediums before a gearbox issue ended his running) was encouraging for the Tifosi.

McLaren fans will be happier with the driver feedback – Lando Norris says the car is improved and that they’ll be fighting for pole whilst Oscar Piastri also reported an improvement from 2024 – whilst positive reports for the balance of the Red Bull from Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda are potentially ominous, with Tusnoda in particular matching up well with Verstappen on the peak runnings. A mixed up grid would be no surprise as the Racing Bulls showed up well in FP2 whilst Alex Albon was third and eighth in the two sessions for Williams.

📊 FP2 times:
1 Lando Norris (McLaren) 1m33.602s
2 Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +0.029s
3 Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.161s
4 Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) +0.277s
5 Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) +0.291s
6 Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) +0.299s
7 George Russell (Mercedes) +0.435s
8 Alex Albon (Williams) +0.465s
9 Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.503s
10 Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +0.525s
11 Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) +0.589s
12 Pierre Gasly (Alpine) +0.771s
13 Carlos Sainz (Williams) +0.833s
14 Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +0.891s
15 Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) +1.090s
16 Franco Colapinto (Alpine) +1.222s
17 Ollie Bearman (Haas) +1.384s
18 Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) +1.410s
19 Esteban Ocon (Haas) +1.626s
20 Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) +1.897s

📊 FP1 times:
1 Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 1m34.802s
2 Alex Albon (Williams) +0.166s
3 Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) +0.269s
4 Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.307s
5 Carlos Sainz (Williams) +0.377s
6 Lando Norris (McLaren) +0.456s
7 Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) +0.497s
8 Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +0.648s
9 George Russell (Mercedes) +0.732s
10 Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +0.736s
11 Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +0.759s
12 Pierre Gasly (Alpine) +0.787s
13 Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) +0.907s
14 Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) +0.944s
15 Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) +1.092s
16 Ollie Bearman (Haas) +1.188s
17 Esteban Ocon (Haas) +1.321s
18 Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) +1.368s
19 Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) +1.596s
20 Franco Colapinto (Alpine) +1.956s

---

🚦 Starting Grid/Post Qualifying Analysis:

Las Vegas was wet for one of the most dramatic qualifying sessions of the year, with Lando Norris putting together a brilliant lap to take his third straight pole position. Like every other session so far this weekend there were more questions than answers to be had afterwards, with Norris showing exceptional skill to put a second between himself and the field before two slides in the final section, although he had the benefit of other rivals being unable to complete their final runs, including teammate Oscar Piastri.

Over one lap in the wet he had the better of Max Verstappen on pace, with Carlos Sainz producing a brilliant lap to put his Williams third ahead of pre-race selection George Russell, who was fastest in Q1 and Q2 before a power steering issue cost him a chance a the front row at least in his eyes – it remains to be seen how he’d have fared with a clean run.

Russell’s team-mate Kimi Antonelli was lap good enough to make it through to Q2 when he locked up and went into the runoff area – a body blow for our staking plan, especially given the pace in the W16 here.

There were big showings for both Racing Bulls (Liam Lawson sixth, Isack Hadjar eighth), Fernando Alonso (seventh, and quick all session esp on the full wets), and Pierre Gasly who continues to outdrive the Alpine.

Ferrari hated the wet conditions, with Lewis Hamilton hitting a bollard and suffering a mix-up in communication that prevented a Q1 pushlap, whilst Charles Leclerc’s overcommitment into Turn 12 on his final lap left him ninth.

1 Lando Norris (McLaren)
2 Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
3 Carlos Sainz (Williams)
4 George Russell (Mercedes)
5 Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
6 Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
7 Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
8 Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)
9 Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
10 Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
11 Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber)
12 Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
13 Esteban Ocon (Haas)
14 Ollie Bearman (Haas)
15 Franco Colapinto (Alpine)
16 Alex Albon (Williams)
17 Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
18 Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber)
19 Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)
20 Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)

The McLaren struggles of last year seem to be a thing of the past, but Lando Norris position as favourite – and the whole grid to an extent – could still be turned upside down. The Hard tyre –essential in last year’s race – has been seen very little so far, there has been no serious long running in the dry for any of the contenders and the track will have another reset overnight for what is expected to be a dry race with overtaking opportunities.

Norris in particular, will have to try and avoid the graining that ruined his race last year, but on Friday there were signs of that tyre damage and a green track due to constant rain means that the same issue hitting in the race is a threat, as acknowledged by Andrea Stella.

With that in mind a short price about Norris, whose MCL-39 doesn’t have quite the same top speed as others, doesn’t make appeal and the boosted 13/8 about Max Verstappen with starsports.bet would be more appealing. With a good early launch George Russell has hopes of being competitive for sure so all is not lost, especially as Carlos Sainz has bee open in saying that his Williams was setup for wet weather conditions and that he could struggle to defend a podium spot.

The Racing Bulls have gone well recently with both Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar getting the most out of a versatile package, and their dual top ten positions were gained on merit in a wet qualifying. Whilst race pace is an unknown to some extent, the Racing Bulls topspeed in qualifying was very encouraging (Hadjar hit the highest speed, Lawson third fastest) and 6/4 about a double points finish looks fair, just as they managed at Interlagos.

RECOMMENDED BETS – Pre Race Weekend

BACK George Russell 3 pts at 4/1 (⭐ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)
BACK Kimi Antonelli 1 pt each/way at 9/1 (⭐ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)
BACK Kimi Antonelli Podium Finish 3pts at 13/8 (⭐ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)

RECOMMENDED BETS – Post Qualifying 

BACK Racing Bulls Double Points Finish 4pts at 6/4 (⭐ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)

---

PROFIT/LOSS (NOV 2025): -3.17 points

---

STAR PROMOTIONS