F1 Las Vegas GP LIVE: Qualifying start time and schedule as Lewis Hamilton eyes pole position

All times GMT

Saturday 23 November

• Free practice 3: 2:30am
• Qualifying: 6am

Sunday 24 November

• Race: 6am (10pm Nov 23, local time)

Sergio Perez has criticised his father, Antonio Perez Garibay, after homophobic comments made towards former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher.

Sky Germany pundit Schumacher, who revealed he was in a same-sex relationship in July, had insisted that Perez won’t drive a “single metre” for Red Bull next year, as speculation continues to swirl about the Mexican’s future in the sport.

Yet Perez’s father Antonio, 65, responded to those remarks by making light of Schumacher’s decision to come out as gay earlier this year.

Full story below:

“It was slippery. We really struggled to switch the tyres on, especially over one lap. On the long runs we were a bit more competitive, but we still need to do some fine tuning.”

The championship leader added: “We’re far off the one-lap pace because of the unique conditions here, but it’s the same for everyone. We have to learn what we’re doing wrong. It’s like driving on ice.”

Lewis Hamilton admits he did want to leave Mercedes in the immediate aftermath of a torrid Brazilian Grand Prix.

Seven-time F1 world champion Hamilton, who is leaving Mercedes for Ferrari at the end of the season, finished 10th in Sao Paulo and endured a disastrous weekend despite his favoured wet conditions.

On his team radio straight after the race, the 39-year-old mysteriously hinted that Interlagos could be his last race for the team and, speaking ahead of this weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix, Hamilton insists his reaction was only “natural.”

Full piece below:

“Life doesn’t always go as planned, and setbacks can be tough to face,’ Schumacher wrote on Instagram.

‘But every challenge is a chance to learn, grow, and come back even stronger. This is just a chapter, not the whole story.

‘The journey continues, and I’m determined to rise above it. Thank you for your support, it means the world.’

Schumacher has not yet been confirmed as a Mercedes reserve again next year as he assesses his next steps.

1. McLaren - 593 points

2. Ferrari - 557 points

3. Red Bull Racing - 544 points

4. Mercedes - 382 points

5. Aston Martin - 86 points

6. Alpine - 49 points

7. Haas - 46 points

8. RB - 44 points

8. Williams - 17 points

10. Sauber - 0 points

There are now just 86 points available across the next three races in Vegas, Qatar (including the final sprint race of the season) and Abu Dhabi.

By the end of the weekend in Vegas, there will be just 60 points left to claim.

That means that if Verstappen simply finishes above Norris in Vegas, he will be crowned the 2024 champion.

The Dutchman would also seal the title if both drivers fail to score a point.

Verstappen will also win the 2024 title if Norris does not outscore the Red Bull driver by more than two points.

As a result, Verstappen will be world champion in Sin City if:

• If Norris is second and he finishes third with the fastest lap
• If Norris is third and he finishes fourth with the fastest lap
• If Norris is fourth without the fastest lap and he finishes fifth
• If Norris is fifth without the fastest lap and he finishes sixth
• If Norris is sixth without the fastest lap and he finishes seventh
• If Norris is seventh without the fastest lap and he finishes eighth
• If Norris is eighth without the fastest lap and he finishes ninth
• If Norris is ninth without the fastest lap or lower irrespective of where he he finishes

Formula One driver Yuki Tsunoda was interrogated by US border control officials before being allowed into the United States ahead of this weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Japanese driver Tsunoda, who has raced in F1 since 2021, says he was travelling with his physio but progressed through immigration on his own.

The 24-year-old was then questioned for several hours, despite having the correct paperwork, before being allowed to enter the country. Tsunoda had flown in ahead of his RB team for a promotional event.

Full quotes below:

1. Max Verstappen - 393 points

2. Lando Norris - 331 points

3. Charles Leclerc - 307 points

4. Oscar Piastri - 262 points

5. Carlos Sainz - 244 points

6. George Russell - 192 points

7. Lewis Hamilton - 190 points

8. Sergio Perez - 151 points

9. Fernando Alonso - 62 points

10. Nico Hulkenberg - 31 points

11. Yuki Tsunoda - 28 points

12. Pierre Gasly - 26 points

13. Lance Stroll - 24 points

14. Esteban Ocon - 23 points

15. Kevin Magnussen - 14 points

16. Alex Albon - 12 points

17. Daniel Ricciardo - 12 points

18. Ollie Bearman - 7 points

19. Franco Colapinto - 5 points

20. Liam Lawson - 4 points

21. Zhou Guanyu - 0 points

22. Logan Sargeant - 0 points

23. Valtteri Bottas - 0 points

As fans trudged away from their expensive acquired seats on night one of the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix, having seen just eight minutes of cars on track before “manhole gate”, one question sprung to mind: how could the sport come back for this?

Yet beyond all the fanfare which inevitably accompanied Formula One’s lavish return to Sin City last year, what actually saved the inaugural event was the Saturday night race itself. We had overtakes – 82 in fact, the most of any circuit during its debut grand prix – we had safety cars and we had last-lap drama. For a sport which veers too blatantly in the direction of spectacle at times, it was a refreshing nod to the drama the action on track can deliver.

Full preview below: