Motorsports

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc will start F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix on pole

Teammate Carlos Sainz will start 12th after dropping 10 spots due to penalty

Nov 18th 2023 at 5:37AM

LAS VEGAS — Considering the drama and intrigue that has surrounded the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix up to this point, the fact that qualifying for the first Formula 1 race in Sin City since 1982 went off without incident is noteworthy. After the time allotted for qualifying came to an end, the Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz crossed the line in first and second place. But due to the 10-position penalty assessed after Sainz was forced to a halt after hitting a water drain cover that was dislodged during the first practice session the previous evening, he will start in the 12th position. Just 0.044 seconds separated the two Ferrari drivers.

Taking the second position on the grid for the Las Vegas Grand Prix will be Max Verstappen, who already clinched the driver's championship in dominant fashion and finished third in qualifying behind the two Ferraris. Mercedes-AMG driver George Russell will start in third, followed by Alpine's Pierre Gasly and Williams teammates Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant.

Mercedes-AMG driver Lewis Hamilton (10th), Red Bull's Sergio Perez (11th) and McLaren drivers Lando Norris (15th) and Oscar Piastri (18th) were eliminated in the first round of qualifying.

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