Qualifying analysis: “It’s fun”
Nov 22, 2025 9:10 am | 3:39m
Heiko Wasser and Christian Danner classify the qualifying for the Las Vegas Grand Prix (Sunday, live on RTL from 4:30 a.m.).
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It’s nice that you’re taking part in the qualifying analysis. It would have been even nicer if you had watched the qualifying live. Because today it was really worth it. It was really, really great to watch. It was great for commenting. And Christian, you said several times, I also noticed it because your movement was always accordingly. It must also have been incredibly good to drive, so it must have been fun.
So in general, the less grip, the more you can do in the cockpit, you can influence the driving behavior and the track in Las Vegas, especially when it was first wet, then damp, there was very, very little grip and you could see that. That is fun.
The old theater saying goes that after a failed dress rehearsal comes a good premiere. Third free practice. Both McLarens at the back. Qualifying Lando Norris, the World Cup, leader at the front Oskar Piaski, a little behind only in fifth So they came out of the box a bit like Kai. But like the McLaren out of the rain.
Well, okay, you can forget about the third free practice session. Every now and then there are things that happen and then things don’t work. In qualifying, I would say the performance shown by McLaren is very solid, no matter what the track is like. And we mustn’t forget last year McLaren was nowhere in qualifying. They’ve always been at the forefront and so are both of them. Piastri, who was unlucky with his yellow flag, was actually a relatively safe bet for the front row.
It was about driving evenly and one of them didn’t manage to do that at all.
Lewis Hamilton Yes, not just consistently, but of course you have to try to get tires when the conditions are like the temperatures there. And that only works if I drive and not if I wait and drive again or make a mistake, drive slowly, then the temperature goes away again immediately.
That’s why Lewis Hamilton out very early. Kimi Antonelli also out very early. Nico Hülkenberg at least made it into Q2 and narrowly missed out. Was that also a timing problem when it came to making it into the top ten?
Well, well, that’s always a bit of a timing problem, because the track develops and of course it’s always fastest towards the end of a Q1 Q2. And yes, you can say that, but overall, I think Hülkenberg is not that dissatisfied.
No, he drove quite well. However, Oskar Piaski, who came second in the World Cup, had a real timing problem, as he still has the second best chance of catching his colleague Lando Norris. Max Verstappen can theoretically still become world champion. Günther Steiner saw him right at the front. He said it would be a decision between Verstappen and Russell. In the end the 16th pole for Lando Norris. And then he didn’t trust the roast. He immediately asked on the radio how didn’t anyone drive faster? He also suspected his colleague that he might take the pole away from him. He failed because of that.
So under such conditions. The later I can complete the last lap, the faster the track is. In that case I was just unlucky. Had a yellow flag, didn’t work.
And also with Verstappen, if a little later he would have, would have. In the end. Now starting row one Lando Norris next to Max Verstappen Science. Sensational third. But there could still be a bit of trouble because he is said to have hindered Alonso. So that still has a little question mark. And we also have to say who was very, very strong. Both Raging, Bull, Lawson and Hatcher in the top ten. It’s definitely worth setting the alarm. Sunday morning, 4:00 it starts on RTL.