George Russell Shocks with Pole Position in Las Vegas Grand Prix

George Russell earned a surprising pole position for Mercedes at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, outperforming teammate and favorite Lewis Hamilton. Title contender Max Verstappen qualified fourth, while Red Bull struggled, seeing Sergio Perez knocked out early. Franco Colapinto's crash added drama to a challenging weekend.

In a stunning turn of events, George Russell secured pole position for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, surprising many by outperforming Mercedes teammate and favorite Lewis Hamilton in the final qualifying session.

Russell's late charge upended expectations, relegating Ferrari drivers Carlos Sainz Jr. and Charles Leclerc to second and fourth positions, respectively. Max Verstappen, a key contender for the championship, qualified fourth, while Lando Norris landed in sixth, keeping the title race alive.

Red Bull faced a tough qualifying as Sergio Perez was eliminated early, and potential team replacement Franco Colapinto suffered a crash during the session. This amplified Red Bull's woes, with team morale and car performance appearing to struggle throughout the weekend.

(With inputs from agencies.)