Hamilton suffers yet another qualifying blow in Las Vegas

Despite the promise shown in FP3 where Hamilton was able to place his name consistently at the top, the seven-time world champion failed to capitalise on the conditions under which he usually shines.

As the clock ticked down the minutes drivers up and down the field were struggling to tame their cars on the wet tarmac, with Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, George Russell and Charles Leclerc among them.

With the session rushing to its end, all drivers were pushing as the track evolved aggressively. Oliver Bearman went straight on at Turn 14 and had contact with the barriers, which did not keep him from rejoining the track shortly after.

Alexander Albon, who found himself running ahead of Hamilton hit the wall with full force in the final part of the lap, hindering the Ferrari driver's last chance to make it into Q2. It's the second time in a row Hamilton can't make it into Q3.

Hamilton did not go alone, as Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Yuki Tsunoda, Albon and Gabriel Bortoleto were also eliminated in Q1.

Want to stay up-to-date with what happens in the F1 paddock? Then GPblog's F1 Paddock Update video is the perfect way to do it. Subscribe to GPblog's YouTube channel and turn on notifications to never miss the latest episodes.