F1 Las Vegas GP LIVE: Race start time and schedule as George Russell starts on pole

Michael Buffer and his brother Bruce will join forces to introduce Formula One’s stars for Saturday’s celebrity-fuelled Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Michael, famous for his ‘Let’s Get Ready to Rumble’ phrase, was hired by F1 bosses ahead of the US Grand Prix in Austin in 2017.

Bruce, known for yelling ‘It’s Time’, announced the grid’s drivers prior to last year’s event on the Strip.

“During qualifying, Franco sustained a significant impact of over 50G, requiring a medical check up.

“An impact of this magnitude is obviously significant and severe and he will need to be evaluated again tomorrow before we will know whether he is clear to race. Franco’s health is all that matters and we are glad he is otherwise okay.

“We will provide further updates when we can.”

Hollywood stars Brad Pitt and Sylvester Stallone, rapper Snoop Dogg, British chef Gordon Ramsay, Olympic great Michael Phelps, heiress and celebrity television star Paris Hilton, and model E

are among the plethora of stars expected to attend the race against the backdrop of Caesars Palace, the MGM Grand and Bellagio hotels.

“Sergio has been a long way off for a long time now. I don’t know anyone who has had so many opportunities in this sport at a big team.

“I’d love to see Yuki get in the car. He’s so chilled and confident.”

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:

“We tried to do the best we could as a team, we tried a lot of different things. It clearly wasn’t enough to fight for pole, I’m still quite happy and still in front of McLaren, which is a bit of a surprise.

“In the long run, both us and McLaren were not great. A lot of teams have made changes, only time will tell tomorrow how we are going to perform.”

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

“No chance [for pole]. The top three and four out of reach, Mercedes have been the quickest all weekend. Us and Red Bull a decent chunk behind, we expected a bit more than where we were. We’re struggling in every corner, it was too difficult and too much of a challenge with our car.

“I’ll do everything I can, I’m not going to give up until the end even though the chances are extremely slim. I’ll go out tomorrow, it’s a long race, we’re quick in the straights - hopefully that can come to our advantage.”

“It is what it is.

“Conditions were great, nice and cool. It’s been really nice all weekend.

“I’m quite far back, see what I can do. Degradation is key.”

Despondent interview from Hamilton....

“We just need winter times, we need Silverstone and Spa in the rain. Our car comes alive when there’s a lack of grip and it’s cold.

“We just need to next year have a base which functions at all kinds of track. Let’s see what we can do tomorrow.

“Leclerc was the quickest on the long runs yesterday, it’s about making sure the tyres don’t grain.”