Norris, Piastri, McLaren go AWOL in Las Vegas F1 Qualifying

Norris could still be this year's champion if his Red Bull rival Max Verstappen has issues in the final three GPs and Sprint Race. But realistically, time has all but run out for a campaign to turn Lando into a World Champ this year. One felt that Mclaren's heart was never really in it.

If Formula 1 was a poker tournament, McLaren folded too many winning hands while their rivals turned improbable into probable when they did not hold a solid hand. Here in Vegas, they have been dealt a relative stinker.

Speaking to reporters in Las Vegas after Qualifying, Norris summed up: "Mercedes have easily been the quickest all weekend, that's clear. Ferrari have been with them. Both Red Bull and ourselves a decent chunk behind and that showed today.

"We expected a little bit more than where we were that's for sure. It could have been if just the lap came together, we are struggling every corner with something different. One lap it works, the next lap it doesn't and it's too difficult basically, too much of a challenge with our car.

"When you are trying to find lap time but not go over the limit it's a difficult balance. So just too much of a challenge for us and that showed," explained the Englishman.

As for keeping the 2024 F1 Drivers' title race alive beyond this weekend in Vegas, Norris said: "I'll do everything I can, of course. That's what I'm here to do. I'm not going to give up until the end even if the chance is extremely thin.

"But I'm here to do the best in every race I can whether I'm fighting for a championship or not. So I'll go out tomorrow, it's a long race, many things can happen. We're quick in the straight so hopefully that can come to our advantage."

McLaren lead the 2024 Formula 1 Constructors World Championship standings by 36 points over Ferrari, with Red Bull only 13 points further back. This means it is still all to play for in the 2024 F1 Drivers' standings.

Which leads to the other McLaren. Oscar Piastri, who has gone off the bubble since his victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, will be needed to rake in the points with Both Ferrari drivers and Verstappen ahead of them on the grid.

Piastri said little of his session in the team's report: "It was a bit of a tricky Qualifying, I just struggled to extract more lap time in Q3. We’ve still got a long race tomorrow and I think it’s going to be an interesting one with overtaking and tyres, so let’s see."

McLaren boss Andrea Stella reflected on the session: “A tricky Qualifying session for us here in Las Vegas. Conditions are unusual here in terms of the low temperature, very low grip, and to some extent in terms of the drag level required for the long straights.

"We were not the team that coped best with that and likely we never put a perfect lap together all the way through Qualifying. That’s down to the behaviour of the car, rather than the drivers. Certainly, there’s a lot we need to review and learn.

“First, however, focus shifts to the Las Vegas Grand Prix. It’s a completely different regime: continuous laps and harder compound tyres. It’s going to be tricky too, but for different reasons. We’ve seen quite a lot of graining, even on the Medium tyre, and we’d expect the race to be eventful.

"Our job is to improve the behaviour of the car, maximise any opportunities that come our way, and score as many points as possible," added Stella.