George Russell will be on pole position at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, with the Briton setting the pace in qualifying during a weekend that has so far belonged to Mercedes.

After securing the practice hat-trick for Mercedes on Friday evening, Russell followed up that P1 in the late qualifying session, where pole position was decided after 11pm.

P1 for George Russell, P20 for Valtteri Bottas

The two-time Grand Prix winner clocked a 1:32.312 to take the coveted starting position with a winning margin of 0.098 seconds over Carlos Sainz, while Alpine’s Pierre Gasly was third fastest.

The next task is to keep them at bay in the 50-lap Grand Prix, as well as title rivals Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, who will line up on the third row.

“I felt confident in myself,” Russell said. “I knew that if I could get a clear lap it would be enough to secure a front row start, so to take pole position is incredible. Ultimately, we have had some good qualifications lately, and we now have to convert them into a victory.”

Valtteri Bottas is on the grid with Russell, but he has now moved up to P19 while Franco Colapinto starts from the pit lane. A five-place grid penalty for taking an Energy Store outside his season’s allocation left Bottas at the back of the grid behind Lance Stroll.

“The penalty will be imposed in accordance with Article 28.3,” read the FIA ​​statement on Bottas’ penalty.

“The use of any additional element in this case carries a penalty of 5 grid spaces. Competitors are reminded that they have the right to appeal against certain decisions of the Stewards, in accordance with Article 15 of the FIA ​​International Sporting Code and Chapter 4 of the FIA ​​Judicial and Disciplinary Rules, within the applicable deadlines.”

He will line up in 19th place, as Colapinto has been given the green light to race, but Williams has adjusted the set-up to suit his newly repaired car, meaning a pit lane start

The revised grid after penalties

1 George Russell 1:32.312
2 Carlos Sainz +0.098
3 Pierre Gasly +0.352
4 Charles Leclerc +0.471
5 Max Verstappen +0.485
6 Lando Norris +0.696
7 Yuki Tsunoda +0.717
8 Oscar Piastri +0.721
9 Nico Hulkenberg +0.750
10Lewis Hamilton +15.794
11 Esteban Ocon 1:33.221
12 Kevin Magnussen 1:33.297
13 Zhou Guanyu 1:33,566
14Liam Lawson 1:34,257
15 Sergio Perez 1:34.155
16 Fernando Alonso 1:34.258
17 Alex Albon 1:34.425
18 Lance Walk 1:34.484
19 Valtteri Bottas 1:34.430 *
Pit lane Franco Colapinto 1:33.749

* ES penalty of five places

Read the following: Las Vegas GP: From T5 wall to pole position, George Russell sets the pace in qualifying