2025 F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix LIVE FP3 - Final touches before qualifying

A little more than 10mins to go before the start of FP3... it's not raining but it is nippy out there

What of Lewis Hamilton?

He remains blockbuster for F1 and we're in the most blockbuster city on the calendar... but his form recently in the Ferrari has been anything but blockbuster.

Coming off the back of a torrid weekend all round in his 'adopted' home of Brazil, Hamilton cast a downbeat shadow, which drew the ire of John Elkann - which isn't ideal given he was the architect of prising Hamilton from Mercedes to join Ferrari.

While it takes time to adapt to a new team, new car and new culture, many would have hoped Hamilton's credentials as a seven-time F1 World Champion would have shortened that transition period.

Instead, he is the only driver in the overall top ten yet to stand on a (full-length) GP podium. 

A quick recap of Thursday practice (this being a Saturday race local time), Norris emerged quickest but was one of only a handful of drivers to get a representative soft tyre lap in.

A wobbly manhole cover - the scourge of the street circuit - caused a red flag in FP2 that spoiled a number of laps and made getting a read on the fast times difficult.

Still, Norris sounding positive was encouraging, not least because Vegas is a type of circuit that isn't best suited to the McLaren package.

That could prove crucial this weekend with many looking towards Mercedes as the big competition - as they were in 2024 - but Verstappen can never be discounted, while Ferrari have had a habit of turning up in time for qualifying recently.

Then again, the iffy weather conditions and the unique characteristics of the circuit are reason enough to flip things on its head. We'll just have to wait and see.

Anyway, getting back to the here and now, it is currently wet in Vegas, which will be a new experience for the drivers if it (probably) stays that way for FP3.

The weather has been pretty awful in recent days and while the floods have stopped flashing, it's both damp and VERY cold out there. Thirteen degrees and dropping.

F1 has raced in some dodgy conditions on many occasions, but generally it follows the sun around the world - cold track temperatures, exacerbated by the night-time conditions, aren't terribly familiar.

Coupled with the low-grip, ultra-fast Vegas Strip layout and it could be a touch tetchy in the run up to qualifying

If the below is represents the nuances and various permutations of an F1 title battle, here is some cold hard maths to balance things out again.

Three grands prix, plus one Sprint, means there are a maximum of 83 points on the table.

Just three drivers remain in mathematical chance of the title.

Norris leads Piastri by 24 points, while Verstappen is 49 points adrift of the top spot.

It's all getting very real out there...

So, the momentum is definitely with Norris right now, which will come as some relief to McLaren having seen its robust advantage over the field at the start of the year gradually erode.

While the British team remains the most steadfast two-car block on the grid, Mercedes, Ferrari and especially Red Bull in the hands of Max Verstappen have lobbed some curveballs recently that have unsteadied the good ship McLaren.

It's too late for those teams to have a say in the constructors' fight - that was sewn up a long time ago - while Norris' back-to-back wins have probably given Verstappen an uphill task even he can't scale at this stage (49 points).

However, it's indicative of the additional headache either driver - especially Piastri right now - faces on weekends when things aren't quite going to plan. 

Whereas Lewis Hamilton or Nico Rosberg could once have a shocking weekend but still finish second to the other once upon a time, just a minor grumble with set-up could be the difference between a win and a decent points' finish for McLaren.

Two wins on the bounce (three if you include the São Paulo Sprint) has seen Lando Norris not only overturn an erstwhile margin to McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri, but it has seen him take control of proceedings with only three rounds (three GP, one Sprint) still to go.

What was a deficit of 31 points to Piastri after Round 15 in Zandvoort is now a 24 point lead heading into Round 22.

Perhaps the more telling statistic is that Piastri hasn't beaten Norris on the road since Zandvoort, while recent rounds have been fraught with errors, clashes and generally indifferent pace.

Norris hasn't been a picture of perfection himself during that time, but emphatic wins in Mexico and São Paulo have sent a massive message of intent at this critical stage in the season.

It's far from over, but another GP win for Norris coupled with an iffy weekend for Piastri could make this the pivotal moment in the title race...