Norris took pole. Verstappen lost it in Sector 2.

Half a second in the middle sector. The rest was close enough to not matter.

Lando Norris took pole by three-tenths. Max Verstappen was faster through the final sector.

Key Finding

Verstappen gave away 0.549s in Sector 2 alone — more than the entire pole gap.

Where the pole lap was won

NOR vs VER — sector-by-sector breakdown

Sector 2 accounts for more than the entire gap — Norris was half a second faster through turns 6 to 11.

▲ NOR faster▼ VER faster

S1: +0.433s · S2: +0.549s · S3: -0.659s

Key Finding

Verstappen gave away 0.549s in Sector 2 alone — more than the entire pole gap.

Verstappen was four-tenths down in Sector 1. He clawed back most of it in Sector 3, where he was actually faster by 0.659s. But Sector 2 undid all of it. Half a second lost through six corners.

That's not track limits. That's not a mistake you can point to on the replay. That's the car not turning where the McLaren did.

The Red Bull's straight-line advantage disappeared

NOR (Lap 24) vs VER (Lap 23) — fastest laps compared

The yellow line should pull away on the main straight — it doesn't. The McLaren carried too much speed out of the corners.

NOR (Lap 24)VER (Lap 23)

Fastest laps: NOR Lap 24, VER Lap 23.

Key Finding

Verstappen gave away 0.549s in Sector 2 alone — more than the entire pole gap.

Las Vegas is supposed to be a Red Bull track. Low downforce, long straights, minimal corners. Verstappen was faster through the final sector — the casino section and the run to the line — which tells you the car had pace when it mattered least.

The middle sector is where you need rotation. Norris had it. Verstappen didn't. The rest is arithmetic.

Key Finding

Verstappen gave away 0.549s in Sector 2 alone — more than the entire pole gap.

Qatar is next. Permanent circuit, high-speed corners, completely different demands. Watch Sector 2 again. If the Red Bull still doesn't turn, the gap will be wider than three-tenths.

Alistair Drum

@@alistair_drum

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