Verstappen and Russell are the drivers who’ve been victorious in Vegas so far, five drivers hold a 100% Q3 appearance rate and six current drivers have scored in both races to date. Here’s all you need to know about each driver’s history at the Las Vegas Grand Prix!
Max VERSTAPPEN
Max Verstappen may have been far from complimentary about the Las Vegas Grand Prix during its first appearance on the calendar in 2023 – but that didn’t stop him from taking the victory. Nor did it prevent him from celebrating with a rendition of Elvis’ Viva Las Vegas on the team radio after the race.
Verstappen extended the record for most wins in a year at the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix, where he secured his 18th victory of the season. He won from second on the grid, having set the third fastest qualifying time. He overtook Charles Leclerc at Turn 1 in a move that later saw him handed a five-second time penalty, meaning he had to re-pass both his team-mate and Leclerc on track to secure victory.
One year later, Verstappen did not reach the podium at the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix but finishing where he started in fifth place was all he needed to do to secure himself a fourth consecutive World Championship title.
MAX VERSTAPPEN’S LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2023 |
WON |
3 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
2024 |
WON |
5 |
5 |
5 |
0 |
Yuki TSUNODA
Liam Lawson finished 16th on his first outing at the Las Vegas Grand Prix in 2024. He did so having started the race from 14th on the grid.
LIAM LAWSON’S LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2024 |
LOST |
15 |
14 |
16 |
-2 |
Lando NORRIS
Lando Norris endured a weekend to forget at the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix. A Q1 exit on Friday night was followed by a heavy crash after hitting a bump on the third lap of Saturday night’s race which resulted in a trip to the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada for precautionary checks. He was discharged later in the evening. It was his first DNF of the 2023 season.
Norris started where he finished in the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix, one place ahead of his team-mate, in sixth place. He secured the fastest lap of the race on a race weekend where title rival Max Verstappen secured the championship, ending what slim hopes Norris had left of a maiden title win in 2024.
LANDO NORRIS’ LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2023 |
WON |
16 |
15 |
DNF |
– |
2024 |
WON |
6 |
6 |
6 |
0 |
Oscar PIASTRI
Despite setting the second fastest lap time in Free Practice 3 at the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix, Oscar Piastri qualified on the back row of the grid as both McLarens exited in Q1. Starting 18th, Piastri pitted early following contact with Lewis Hamilton. Switching to another set of hard tyres, Piastri ran as high as fourth but was committed to making another pit stop. He ultimately finished tenth after his second stop, but his fresh tyres enabled him to secure an extra point with the fastest lap of the race.
In 2024, Piastri finished seventh at the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix. Having started eighth, he was overtaken by Nico Hulkenberg in the early stages but made his way back by the Haas before being passed by Lewis Hamulton. A series of overtakes later in the race – and an undercut Yuki Tsunoda – saw him gain one position overall to finish seventh.
OSCAR PIASTRI’S LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2023 |
LOST |
19 |
18 |
10 |
8 |
2024 |
LOST |
8 |
8 |
7 |
1 |
Lewis HAMILTON
Lewis Hamilton was out in Q2 at the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix, qualifying in 11th position. He moved up to tenth place on the final grid and made progress to sixth at the start before contact with Carlos Sainz dropped him to 15th. Despite further dramas with Oscar Piastri, which resulted in the Mercedes driver completing a full lap with a puncture, Hamilton eventually finished the race in seventh place.
In 2024, Hamilton again had a far from ideal qualifying session. While his team-mate took pole position, Hamilton could qualify no higher than tenth, despite having set the pace in both Friday practice sessions. A series of early race overtakes put him in a good position for a decent recovery and in the closing stages he did get close to his team-mate George Russell. He ultimately settled for second, bringing home the final 1-2 result of his 12-year tenure at Mercedes and securing himself the most votes in the Driver of The Day award.
LEWIS HAMILTON’S LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2023 |
LOST |
11 |
10 |
7 |
3 |
2024 |
LOST |
10 |
10 |
2 |
8 |
Charles LECLERC
Charles Leclerc showed impressive speed throughout practice and qualifying at the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix and secured pole position for the race. He was overtaken at Turn 1 after being forced off track by Max Verstappen but was later able to re-pass the Red Bull to reclaim the lead.
Leclerc would later be passed by Verstappen once more and was then passed by Sergio Perez after making a mistake in braking and locking up. Nevertheless, Leclerc stayed within DRS range of the Red Bull and made an overtake in the final sector of the final lap to secure a second place finish.
In 2024, Leclerc narrowly missed out on a podium finish in Las Vegas. Qualifying fourth, behind his team-mate, Leclerc moved up to second at the race start and would remain there until graining issues saw him fall down the order. After racing with his team-mate, he passed Max Verstappen to finish fourth.
CHARLES LECLERC’S LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2023 |
WON |
1 |
1 |
2 |
-1 |
2024 |
LOST |
4 |
4 |
4 |
0 |
George RUSSELL
After qualifying fourth, George Russell started third for the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix. He came close to taking the lead as both Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen ahead ran wide at Turn 1 but was unable to capitalise on the opportunity.
Later in the race, Russell made contact with Verstappen which saw him handed a five-second time penalty. Russell finished fourth on the road but dropped to eighth, behind his team-mate, in the final order as a result of the penalty.
One year later, Russell was the class of the field at the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix. Taking pole position, the Mercedes driver led almost every lap of the race and secured a dominant win ahead of team-mate Lewis Hamilton.
GEORGE RUSSELL’S LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2023 |
WON |
4 |
3 |
8 |
-5 |
2024 |
WON |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
Kimi ANTONELLI
Kimi Antonelli has no past experience at Las Vegas Strip Circuit.
Fernando ALONSO
Fernando Alonso reached Q3 at the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix and set the slowest lap time in the final part of qualifying. He moved up to ninth on the grid thanks to Carlos Sainz’s grid penalty. Alonso spun at the first turn, dropping him to 19th in the order. The Spaniard was able to recover to where he started over the course of the race. Team-mate Lance Stroll showed what could have been possible without Alonso’s first corner misdemeanour.
In 2024, Alonso was out in Q1 and unable to qualify any higher than 17th – though that was at least three positions higher than his team-mate. After starting on soft tyres, Alonso pitted in the early stages for hards. Despite ditching plans for a one-stop strategy, he was still able to move up the field. He ran in tenth until being passed by Sergio Perez in the closing stages, ultimately just missing out on points in 11th place.
FERNANDO ALONSO’S LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2023 |
WON |
10 |
9 |
9 |
0 |
2024 |
WON |
17 |
16 |
11 |
5 |
Lance STROLL
Lance Stroll was eliminated in Q2 at the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix. After setting the 14th fastest lap time, the Canadian was demoted five positions on the grid to 19th after being found guilty of ignoring yellow flags in Free Practice 3.
Stroll made up for his Friday night antics by gaining 14 positions during the race and finishing fifth. Having also finished fifth at the previous race, the 2023 Sao Paulo Grand Prix, Stroll recorded consecutive top five results for the first time in his career.
An ERS failure in final practice meant that Stroll could complete only one timed lap in qualifying for the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix. He could qualify no higher than 20th. In the race, Stroll was blighted by a radio failure, which led to him losing 20 seconds at his pit stop as the team was unprepared for his arrival. Nevertheless, Stroll was able to finish 15th.
LANCE STROLL’S LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2023 |
LOST |
14 |
19 |
5 |
14 |
2024 |
LOST |
20 |
18 |
15 |
3 |
Pierre GASLY
It was a tale of two halves at Alpine at the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix. While Esteban Ocon qualified poorly but scored points, Gasly’s strength was in qualifying, where he set the fifth fastest time and started fourth on the grid. The Frenchman struggled with graining in the race and finished in 11th place, five seconds away from the top ten.
In 2024, Gasly again impressed in Las Vegas Grand Prix qualifying. He qualified a season-best third on the grid. On race day, he lost a place at the start before being passed by both Max Verstappen. It was always going to be a struggle to stay amongst the frontrunners in the largely uncompetitive Alpine – but Gasly faced terminal issues before the halfway stage, with power unit problems forcing him to retire.
PIERRE GASLY’S LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2023 |
WON |
5 |
4 |
11 |
-7 |
2024 |
WON |
3 |
3 |
DNF |
– |
Jack DOOHAN
Jack Doohan has not previously raced at Las Vegas Strip Circuit.
Esteban OCON
It was a rollercoaster weekend for Esteban Ocon at the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix, whose Alpine car was damaged in Free Practice 1 by the circuit’s loose drain covers. After running into traffic in Q1, Ocon exited early in qualifying and started the race only 16th on the grid.
Impressively, Ocon avoided the first lap carnage and ran in eighth place by the end of Lap 1. He gained 12 positions over the course of the race and managed his tyres well to finish fourth.
There was no such luck in 2024. After qualifying 11th – and eight places behind his team-mate – Ocon lost places during the race thanks to a botched pit stop by his team, who were not ready to serve his car when he arrived in the pits. He finished only 17th, having to pit for fresh tyres in the closing laps.
ESTEBAN OCON’S LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2023 |
LOST |
17 |
16 |
4 |
12 |
2024 |
LOST |
11 |
11 |
17 |
-6 |
Ollie BEARMAN
Ollie Bearman has no past racing experience at Las Vegas Strip Circuit.
Liam LAWSON
Yuki Tsunoda set the slowest lap time of the 20 drivers in qualifying for the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix. Although he advanced to 12th after safely making his way through the first corner incidents, Tsunoda soon fell back through the order and ran near the back until he retired three laps from the end with gearbox troubles.
He had a much better time in 2024, where he set the seventh fastest lap time in Q3 – ahead of Oscar Piastri’s McLaren. He held seventh place in the opening stages before being overtaken by Lewis Hamilton ahead of his pit stop. He then passed cars in succession to move back up to seventh, then passed more after his second stop. Ultimately, he fell to ninth place but defended from Sergio Perez to secure two valuable championship points.
YUKI TSUNODA’S LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2023 |
LOST |
20 |
20 |
DNF |
– |
2024 |
WON |
7 |
7 |
9 |
-2 |
Isack HADJAR
This will be Isack Hadjar’s first appearance at Las Vegas Strip Circuit.
Carlos SAINZ
Carlos Sainz hit a water valve cover eight minutes into Free Practice 1 for the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix which derailed Thursday’s action at the inaugural event. Sainz was handed a 10-place grid penalty for the resulting damage to his Ferrari; a penalty which, given the circumstances, many felt was unfair.
Sainz qualified strongly, setting a Q3 lap time which was just 0.044 seconds slower than his team-mate’s pole time. His 10-place penalty saw him drop to 12th on the grid. From there, Sainz was caught up in the first corner chaos and dropped to 18th. Over the course of the race, he recovered to sixth place.
It was a much smoother Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend in 2024 for the smooth operator, who narrowly missed out on pole position. Starting on the front row, he lost a position to Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc at the start. He was later allowed back past and set about overtaking Max Verstappen and re-passing his team-mate to secure a third place finish.
CARLOS SAINZ’S LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2023 |
LOST |
2 |
12 |
6 |
6 |
2024 |
WON |
2 |
2 |
3 |
-1 |
Alex ALBON
Alex Albon brought about an early end to Free Practice 3 at the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix after losing a wheel following contact with the wall. Despite that, Albon was able to qualify in an impressive sixth place for the race, moving up to fifth on the final grid. Albon ran inside the top ten in the race but a poorly timed pit stop, just before a Safety Car deployment, hurt his chances of scoring points. He finished 12th.
2024 at the Las Vegas Grand Prix saw Albon out-qualified by team-mate Franc Colapinto. Exiting in Q1, he started 17th. After gaining one position at the start, he made an early switch to hard tyres. The on-stop strategy didn’t help him when a power unit problem saw him retire at the halfway stage.
ALEX ALBON’S LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2023 |
WON |
6 |
5 |
12 |
-7 |
2024 |
LOST |
18 |
17 |
DNF |
– |
Nico HULKENBERG
Nico Hulkenberg felt he had the pace to make Q3 at the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix but a mistake in Q2 saw him qualify only 13th. He retired from the race with five laps remaining as a result of engine issues.
Hulkenberg scored points at Las Vegas Strip Circuit for the first time in 2024, picking up four points with an eighth place finish. He reached Q3, out-qualifying his team-mate (who exited in Q2) and securing ninth on the grid. He even overtook Oscar Piastri’s McLaren in the opening stages but was eventually passed by both him and Lewis Hamilton. Overtakes on Fernando Alonso, Alex Albon, Esteban Ocon and Yuki Tsunoda saw him secured eighth place at the chequered flag.
NICO HULKENBERG’S LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2023 |
LOST |
13 |
13 |
DNF |
– |
2024 |
WON |
9 |
9 |
8 |
1 |
Gabriel BORTOLETO
This will be Gabriel Bortoleto’s first appearance at Las Vegas Strip Circuit.
