Lando Norris would be ‘shocked’ by five-podium driver at Las Vegas Grand Prix according to Martin Brundle

George Russell scored pole position for the Las Vegas Grand Prix but Martin Brundle thinks Lando Norris would have been ‘shocked’ by a different F1 driver in qualifying.

Sin City saw the Silver Arrows secure the top spot in qualifying after Russell set a 1:32.312 to pip Ferrari exile Carlos Sainz. The Spaniard sealed second place on the grid at the Las Vegas GP, lapping 0.098 seconds off the pace the Briton set for Mercedes right at the climax of Q3.

It was not the qualifying that McLaren wanted, with Norris only able to post the sixth-fastest lap and Oscar Piastri finished the session in P8. The Las Vegas GP may see Max Verstappen win his fourth drivers’ title after qualifying in P5 if he and Norris also keep in those positions.

Norris must outscore Verstappen by at least three points in the Las Vegas GP to take the title fight to the Qatar Grand Prix next week. Ferrari may also eat into McLaren’s 36-point lead in the constructors’ standings in the Las Vegas GP with Leclerc qualifying in P4 with a 1:32.783.

Pierre Gasly ‘shocked’ Lando Norris and F1’s top teams in Las Vegas GP qualifying

To make matters worse for McLaren and Norris in qualifying for the Las Vegas GP, Alpine star Pierre Gasly secured third place on the grid with a 1:32.664. Norris could only set a 1:33.008 and Piastri penned a 1:33.033 with RB ace Yuki Tsunoda (1:33.029) splitting the papaya pals.

READ MORE: Alpine driver Pierre Gasly’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

Former McLaren driver Brundle believes Norris and Piastri as well as Leclerc and Verstappen would have been ‘shocked’ by how competitive Gasly was in qualifying for the Las Vegas GP. His Alpine teammate, Esteban Ocon, did not reach Q3 and will start in P11 after a 1:33.221.

“What a performance again from Pierre Gasly,” Brundle said on Sky Sports F1 (23/11, 07:32). “Just three tenths [of a second] off pole position. That would have shocked Leclerc, Verstappen, Norris and Piastri.”

Pierre Gasly gifts Alpine a great chance to cement their constructors’ championship position

Alpine had the slowest car on the grid during the opening two rounds of the 2024 Formula 1 season in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The Enstone outfit’s drastic redesign over the winter left them with an overweight car which also lacked downforce and saw several key figures leave.

But under the watch of team principal Oliver Oakes since the Hitech GP founder took charge in August, the Renault-owned outfit have made great progress. Ocon and Gasly also handed Alpine a double podium finish in the 2024 Sao Paulo Grand Prix with second and third place.

READ MORE: Who is Alpine F1 team principal Oliver Oakes? Everything to know

Now, Gasly has handed Alpine a brilliant chance to cement their ranking in the constructors’ standings after qualifying in P3 for the Las Vegas GP. The Enstone natives shot up from ninth on 14 points to sixth on 49 after the double-podium in Brazil, eclipsing Haas by three points.

It was the fifth podium finish of Gasly’s Formula 1 career and his second at Interlagos after a P2 finish in the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix. The Frenchman also reached the rostrum with P3 in the 2021 Azerbaijan GP plus 2023 Dutch GP, and Gasly won the 2020 Italian GP at Monza.