The 2025 F1 season is perhaps no longer on the knife’s edge-or is it- as Norris v Piastri fight seems to have one winner, in the end!
The 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix is going to be a classic wet weather-affected contest where speed and strategy shall be two among the most common and popular watch words. The winner could be anyone, actually speaking and may not necessarily be the pole sitter, even as this line would not please the 2025 pole sitter Lando Norris one bit.
Having said that, what makes the race at Vegas bigger than better- if that can be said in the first place- is the very fact that amid the intensely bright lights and the sport’s fascinating habit of surprising drivers and fans endlessly, the 2025 race is poised to be affected by some climate variations. It was supremely wet so far and some even claim that ‘expect the unexpected’ might just be the order of the day here in Nevada. So that brings us to question- what can be the four leading 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix predictions given what seems poised to happen?
Norris to dominate the slippery Las Vegas Grand Prix?
There can be only one McLaren at the end of the day that will dominate the Las Vegas Grand Prix, but obviously. However, that’s also unfortunately the truth. Why? In lighter vein, had the team for which luminaries like Senna and Hunt have driven in the past had its way, it would have named the 2025 season the Lando Norris world championship. But then the Oscar shouldn’t go to the one who’s apparently not wanting Piastri to succeed- truth also is that the Lando Norris haters (which in itself is a strong word) won’t agree to the fact that the English driver has demonstrated unfettered excellence.
After grabbing a slippery pole at a track that was about as dry as the arid weather in the Sahara, Norris now has the box office seat to further tighten his grip over the current drivers’ world title. And it is highly likely, that Norris, seven wins already in 2025, will take this year’s Las Vegas Grand Prix unless some miracle sent from up above can dethrone McLaren’s golden plan for their number#1 driver!
Carlos Sainz will find it very hard to break into the podium
There are things that some drivers can manage, but only a few others that someone like Carlos Sainz jr., the sport’s Smooth Operator can do, isn’t it? For instance, his recent and brilliantly earned podium at Baku, home to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Not only was it Carlos’ first in 2025 but also meant Williams breaking into the top three for the first time ever in several years put together.
The famed Spaniard’s brilliant P3 start to the race that lies up ahead is going to be pretty challenging up ahead. Even as he has broken into the top three at Las Vegas for the first time in his Williams career, which is also a brilliant feat in itself, the 31-year-old Smooth Operator will find it quite hard to maintain the fighting position when racing begins for the 50-lap battle.
Why is that? The Williams could likely struggle for grip on what could be a wet and dry race with the chances of the latter looking already thin in what lies ahead.
And what an interesting place it already is for the Madrid-born earnest driver from which to begin his 2025 Las Vegas contest.
He begins from behind Max Verstappen, the season’s defending world champion (and Sainz’s former teammate) and ahead of George Russell of Mercedes. In what lies ahead, Carlos will put his entire energy out there, but it might not be enough especially considering that the cornering speed of other machines in a visibly challenging track could be even more hard to cope with given the weather is likely going to play a part.
Which are those cars? For starters, Russell, last year’s winner with Mercedes at this very track, isn’t going to make things any easy for the former Ferrari driver. That said, there’s also Oscar Piastri, who’s down in fifth. And he won’t like to stay down, even as the Sainz fan in the author of this piece would say the following- “Ditto for Carlos!”
A fun race up ahead for Max Verstappen in which to make moves and create an impression, as per normal
The 2025 Drivers’ world championship is all but out of Verstappen’s hands, isn’t it? But having said that, the four time Formula 1 World champion has no full stops in his craft and his mind, which brings us to wonder whether the 2025 edition of the Las Vegas Grand Prix can be a fun contest for Verstappen? But, how so?
The Hasselt-born driver won the inaugural edition of the Vegas contest back in 2023. He knows a thing or two about the track where he first raced and aced, much like the nineteen others back then. Now, he begins the 2025 contest from P2, right behind an old rival (for certainly Norris ain’t no best friend of Max’s), Lando Norris. For the better part of this year, McLaren have dominated the charts only for Verstappen to deliver cracking wins at Monza and other destinations. He is famously known for making life difficult for the rest on the grid. So what happens next?
Will it be a ‘Mad’ or “Max”imum attack from the Red Bull driver against the likes of George Russell, Oscar Piastri and an old teammate called Carlos Sainz? Who’s to know.
A race to forget for Ferrari?
They haven’t won at Las Vegas yet, but easily one of the fastest drivers on the current grid, Charles Leclerc knows a thing or two about going quick and hard here. After all, he was the fastest man in qualifying in 2023 at the Las Vegas street track.
But this time around, he begins his 2025 Las Vegas contest from further down at P9. It’s not the best place from which to begin a contest at a testing, twisty track such as Vegas, where drivers are still trying to work out the best craft and teams the best strategy. But then what further compounds the Scuderia’s problems is that Sir Lewis Hamilton begins from P20 after a qualifying chaos on Saturday.
So, what can Sunday bring up front? Chaos, confusion and a lack of cohesion from the Italian giant or a reason to bounce back strongly?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
When was the first time that the Las Vegas Grand Prix was held?
It was back in 2023 and the first-ever Vegas F1 race was aced by none other than Max Verstappen – of and with -Red Bull.
Who is on pole for the current, i.e., the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix?
Lando Norris of McLaren is on pole position for the 2025 Las Vegas GP, which puts his closest tittle rival Oscar Piastri under immense pressure for this year’s title. There are 2 more races to go post the American showstopper!