Max Verstappen finished behind both Ferraris in qualifying for the
Las Vegas Grand Prix, yet the
Red Bull Racing driver will start from the front row alongside pole-sitter
Charles Leclerc. That has everything to do with the grid penalty for
Carlos Sainz, who had qualified second, narrowly behind his teammate.
Sainz has a 10-place grid penalty applied to his starting position and therefore starts from P12. This moves
Lewis Hamilton and
Sergio Perez up a place, but that will be a cold comfort for the drivers who were both out in Q2.
Behind Leclerc and Verstappen,
George Russell and
Pierre Gasly will start from the second row. The third row of the grid is fully occupied by
Williams drivers
Alexander Albon and
Logan Sargeant, who set a very impressive qualifying time, especially for Sargeant, a result he desperately needed towards the end of his contract period.
Final starting grid GP Las Vegas