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Piastri controversy over ‘McLaren favour Norris’ like
Oscar Piastri once held the lead of the Formula One drivers’ title race by 34 points from his team mate, yet he has failed to claim a podium finish since the last European race Monza.
The paddock has feverishly speculated over that time, that McLaren favour Norris given his time served, to win the drivers’ championship. In the week leading up to the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Bernie Ecclestone re-iterated this opinion in an instagram post, which Oscar Piastri’s social media account ‘liked.’
The post was deleted from the Aussies account but not before it had been noted by a number of fans. When asked in Las Vegas about the matter, Piastri appeared vague when answering. “I don’t know, I woke up that morning and saw it, so I don’t know. Maybe I accidentally did it, obviously it was not intentional, but yeah, I didn’t know what had happened, so I don’t know.”
Whilst Piastri was tight lipped over the issue, its highly likely it wasn’t him who liked Ecclestone’s post. Most of the drivers have their social media accounts managed by a PR expert within the team so its unlikely he had anything to do with the faux pas.
Stroll blames tyre choice for missing out on a front row
Lance Stroll believes a misjudged tire change during a wet qualifying session at the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix cost him a spot in the second row. The Aston Martin driver will start from 12th place despite showcasing strong pace early on, while his teammate Fernando Alonso secured seventh.
Following heavy rain, the opening session was conducted on wet tires, where Stroll finished fourth on the timesheets. He continued to perform well in Q2, achieving second place with his first timed lap.
However, a critical decision came when Aston Martin chose to switch him to intermediate tires while other drivers remained on wet tires, anticipating an improvement in track conditions. Unfortunately, that improvement never materialised. Stroll managed only two flying laps instead of the promised three, resulting in his failure to qualify for the top-10 shootout.
When asked if the decision was bold, Stroll responded frankly, stating, “No, just stupid in the end. It wasn’t the team’s fault; it was a group decision.” He emphasised that the plan relied on completing a full set of laps.
“I was told I would have three push laps, but I only got two,” he explained. “That’s where it went wrong. It’s a shame we missed a good opportunity to compete for a top spot… probably top three or top four. With three push laps, I was confident we could achieve something good. But with two, there was no chance.”
Red Bull mess up Verstappen’s pole admits Marko
Max Verstappen once again looked strong in wet conditions during qualifying at the 2025 Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix. Yet despite claiming provisional pole, Lando Norris almost a lap behind him on track smashed the time set by the world champion, despite having a major slide out of turn 14.
The Red Bull driver claimed his RB21 went better on the extreme wet tyres used during the first two sessions of qualifying but found it more difficult when all the drivers switched to the intermediates for the pole position shootout.
Norris had the advantage of being the last driver to complete a final push lap on the drying track and his massive 7/10ths of an advantage over Verstappen was in much due to the track improving significantly from lap to lap.
Red Bull advisor, Dr. Helmut Marko told Sky Germany it was the team’s fault Verstappen failed to claim pole. “There was a lot going on. I admire all the drivers. Apart from [Williams’ Alex] Albon, no one crashed here, and the conditions were really, really difficult.
“After Q1 and Q2, we were actually expecting pole position, but the timing didn’t work out. We missed the final lap, the one Lando managed. That’s when the conditions were best.
“Our tyre cooling manoeuvre didn’t work properly. The traffic messes everything up. You need a relatively clear lap. Maybe, we also went out a touch too early.”
Hadjar fumes after yellow flags ruin his shot at top-four grid slot
Isack Hadjar says he missed out on a potential second-row start in Las Vegas after being forced to abort his final qualifying lap due to yellow flags triggered by Charles Leclerc’s off. The Racing Bulls driver, who ultimately qualified eighth, said he had been “way up” on his lap time before encountering the caution. “We got screwed at the end by Charles,” Hadjar told F1TV. “He went out, there was a yellow flag and that was it.”
Hadjar had been running fifth before his final run and believed fourth was within reach. But with Leclerc sliding off at Turn 12, the yellow flags left him no choice but to lift. “It’s so frustrating to have to back off for that,” he said. Starting behind team-mate Liam Lawson, Hadjar admitted he was “a bit gutted” but still satisfied with being in a competitive position for the race.
Oscar Piastri was also caught out by the same yellow flag situation, saying his lap was “pretty much over” the moment he saw it. The McLaren driver will start fifth, despite feeling he had more pace. “We were quick, there’s no doubt about that,” he said. “Things just aren’t going my way at the moment.”
Norris Takes Vegas Pole as Rain Triggers Chaotic Qualifying
Lando Norris mastered a treacherous, rain-soaked qualifying session to secure pole position for the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix, reinforcing his World Championship lead. The McLaren driver delivered a flawless final lap on a rapidly evolving track, edging out Max Verstappen, who joins him on the front row after describing the session as “like driving on ice.”
Carlos Sainz impressed with third for Williams, ahead of George Russell, who had topped both Q1 and Q2 before a power steering issue halted his momentum. Oscar Piastri qualified fifth after yellow flags ruined his last attempt.
The session was packed with incidents as heavy rain turned the street circuit into a slippery minefield. Lewis Hamilton will start last after struggling for grip throughout Q1, sliding off-line, hitting a cone, and missing the cut. Alex Albon crashed, while Oliver Bearman, Yuki Tsunoda, and Kimi Antonelli also failed to progress.
Conditions improved only slightly in Q2 and Q3, with drivers switching from full wets to intermediates, but grip remained minimal. Late yellow flags from a Charles Leclerc off affected several final laps, including Piastri’s.
Norris summed it up: “Stressful as hell… every corner felt like you could crash.” The grid may still shift pending any penalties, but the provisional order sets up a dramatic race under the Vegas lights.
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With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
