Sun Nov 23 04:40:00 UTC 2025: ## Sainz Secures P3 in Wet Las Vegas Qualifying; Albon Crashes Out

Las Vegas, NV – Carlos Sainz of Williams delivered a stellar performance in a treacherous wet qualifying session at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, securing a P3 start for tomorrow’s race. The Spaniard, who also narrowly avoided a penalty for an unsafe rejoin in Q1, will line up behind only Lando Norris (taking the 2025 Pirelli Pole Position Award) and Max Verstappen, marking his second-best qualifying result of the season after Azerbaijan.

“This track maybe suited our car in the dry, and in the wet in FP3 we didn’t look very promising but we did a few changes to the car that I think helped in the wet,” Sainz explained. He further added, “On extreme wets I was really quick, on inters I knew maybe the others would catch up a bit, but happy with P3.”

Sainz expressed his optimism and highlighted Williams’ growing strength. “I think the US fans love a bit of an underdog, an underdog fight, and I think they see myself with Williams as an underdog but also as an [upcoming] project,” he said. “We are becoming stronger every race, every lap that we do together, and it’s great to see them supporting us.”

Unfortunately, the qualifying session wasn’t all positive for Williams. Alex Albon, Sainz’s teammate, crashed out in Q1 after hitting the barrier at Turn 16, resulting in broken front-right suspension.

“Just a little bit of a snap in the place you don’t want to have a snap,” Albon said, describing the incident. “It was sketchy out there, sketchy for everyone, a lot of aquaplaning. I’m surprised we were driving in that weather, to be honest.” Despite the disappointing end to his qualifying, Albon remained optimistic. “I think my lap was going to be good. I’ve been quick all weekend, and that’s just how it is sometimes.”

The 50-lap Las Vegas Grand Prix is set to be an exciting race, with Sainz looking to convert his strong qualifying performance into a podium finish. The performance demonstrates that Williams is showing continual improvements.

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