F1 Las Vegas GP live commentary and updates - qualifying

THAT'S A WRAP FROM VEGAS

As the drivers head off to debrief and then bed – though Pierre Gasly says he won't sleep because of the adrenaline after that eventful qualifying session – it's time for us to wrap up.

We'll be back for the grand prix, which starts at 20:00 local time tomorrow (Saturday).

Lando Norris, McLaren

Photo by: Kym Illman / Getty Images

Leclerc remains concerned about Ferrari's performance in the wet – an ongoing issue.

"Our car has been, unfortunately, since I'm in Ferrari, that we are struggling massively in the wet," he says.

"We don't quite find the solution. It's not a fault that we are not trying, because we've been trying like crazy, but it just doesn't work.

"And it's very, very frustrating, because it's been probably my biggest strength in the junior categories coming up, and we are just struggling like crazy whenever it's wet. The tyres don't switch on, and we just have very, very poor grip."

So he's very focused on the driving. But Ferrari chairman John Elkann might think he's still talking too much.

BAD TIME FOR POWER FAILURE

Russell explains that he had a power steering issue in Q3. "I didn't hit anything, but suddenly on one lap the steering got really heavy. Every time I was sliding I couldn't control it - it felt like it was locked in position... it doesn't give you the most amount of confidence to send it around a corner."

NOT BRAVE, JUST "STUPID"

Hindsight is always 20:20. Lance Stroll thinks the decision to go to intermediates at the end of Q2 was unwise because he only got two rather than three attempts at a push lap.

Asked if the move to inters was brave, he says, “No, just stupid in the end. Not the team's fault, it was a group decision.

“But I was told I was going to get three push, I only got two push. That's where it went wrong. So, yeah, shame. We threw away a good opportunity today to fight for the top... probably top three, top four.”

Nico Hulkenberg makes it clear why he went out on full wets rather than intermediates at the start of Q1.

"I said the only way I'm going out is on full wets," he says.

"There was no way I'm going to go otherwise. Carlos [Sainz] went out on inters in front of me and he was sending it on the out lap. I was like, holy moly!"

Piastri explains that, on top of the yellow flag, he'd already had to faff around with settings at the beginning of his final lap.

"I don't know how much time was in there ultimately," he says.

So there are a few storylines which will develop through the post-qualifying phase.

Will Sainz lose his P3 for rejoining the track unsafely in Q1?

What was going on between Piastri and Hadjar at the end of Q3? Looked like a bit of yellow flag confusion: Piastri lifted, Hadjar was much slower to react and had to stop the car quickly as he bore down on the corner. Hadjar actually arrived at the corner sideways and Piastri had to take evasive action which sent him down the escape road. The stewards decided "no further action", though.

What went wrong with Russell's final flier? What happened to his setup sheet?

And what will be the outcome of the Mercedes paperwork issue? The (setup) sheet might hit the fan – maximum penalty for this is a DSQ, we understand.

So Leclerc ends Q3 in P9. Ferrari was optimistic after practice but qualifying has been messier than Gregg Wallace's sock drawer.

"That was stressful. Stressful as hell" says polesitter Norris.

Norris is lighting up the timing screen through the first two sectors but it all gets a little untidy through Turns 14-15-16... still, it's good enough for P1. 1m47.934s. That's 0.323s quicker than Verstappen in P2.

Sainz remains P3 – for now, pending that appointment with the stewards – while Russell is P4 with 1m48.803s. That's 0.869s off pole so we will take a look at that final lap to see if he was compromised by that yellow flag for Leclerc's moment at Turn 12.

Ditto Piastri – he went off at Turn 12 just seconds after Leclerc rejoined. Looked like Piastri was trying to overtake Hadjar's RB at the time. Oscar's best lap from the session was 1m48.961s.

Leclerc has a moment at Turn 12.

But Russell and Norris are on fliers. 

Sainz P1! 1m48.296s. But he's immediately usurped by Verstappen's 1m48.257s.

Russell does another personal best in sector one but the rest of the lap isn't all that. 1m49.901s.

Norris goes to the top of the timesheet – 1m48.384s. That's 0.577s faster than Piastri.

Looks like Russell pulled out of his flier – his best time currently 1m50.258s.

No, the data screen says he had a lap deleted for track limits.

Lawson does a 1m49.367s which pushed Norris into P4. But then Verstappen crosses the line even faster – 1m49.221s is P2 for now. What can Russell do?

Russell now purple in sector one...

Hadjar briefly purple in sector one but Verstappen has now eclipsed that as he begins a flier.

Carlos Sainz now splits the McLarens with a 1m49.256s.

Meanwhile it's still nowhere near dry out there, as evinced by Charles Leclerc, who slithers straight on at Turn 14 and has to abort his push lap. Lando Norris goes P1 with a 1m49.606s, but is then immediately displaced to the tune of 0.470s by team-mate Oscar Piastri!

WHAT A LOAD OF SHEET

Mercedes under investigation for a breach of the regs. Here are the regs in question: “Each Competitor must provide the Technical Delegate with a suspension set-up sheet for both of their cars before each of them leaves the pit lane for the first time during the sprint qualifying session and the qualifying session.”

We hear from our colleagues in the media 'pen' that Lewis Hamilton was monosyllabic at best. Ferrari chairman John Elkann will no doubt be delighted to observe him talking less...

Carlos Sainz might have got through to Q3 but don't forget he's still facing a date with the stewards for rejoining unsafely after going straight on at Turn 5 in Q1. He was nearly collected by Lance Stroll as he emerged from the run-off.

Russell fastest again in that session, 1m50.935s. Hadjar and Sainz both improved in the final moments to round out the top three. Norris also found more time but 1m51.379s was P4.

So that's Hulkenberg, Stroll, Ocon, Bearman and Colapinto out in Q2.

Piastri looking safe anyway as three of the five cars in the drop zone have taken the flag, and only the Alpines remain on fliers.

Stroll's inter gamble didn't pay off – he's now P12.

McLarens were drifting down the order but Norris goes P1 with a 1m51.379s. Piastri P9 at the time of typing, 1.102s down.

Leclerc was also outside the top 10 but he goes purple in sector one... the following two aren't so stellar but he clocks 1m51.952s which puts him P6 for now.

Russell on the cusp now as he's currently P11 with three minutes to go... and he puts in a 1m51.754s which is good enough for P3.

Sainz now quickest on 1m51.521s.

Rapid flurry of improvements now as Verstappen does a 1m51.593s – that's 0.447s quicker than Hadjar.

Norris improves again to 1m52.137s. That's faster than his team-mate but slower than Lawson.

Slower, too, than Isack Hadjar, who goes P1 with 1m52.040s.

Ocon, Hulkenberg, Hadjar, Gasly and Colapinto in the drop zone.

Six minutes to go and Stroll rolls the dice – he leaves the pits on intermediates.

Make that P7 as Liam Lawson makes an appearance in P1: 1m52.119s.

Piastri goes top with a 1m52.680s. Norris improves to 1m52.908s but that's only good for P6 as we type.

Well that didn't last long as Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz push Lance down.