Lando Norris strengthened his bid for a maiden Formula 1 world title on Friday by securing his third consecutive pole position, topping qualifying at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

The McLaren driver, who has surged into a 24-point lead in the championship following victories in Brazil and Mexico, mastered the tricky wet conditions to post a best lap of 1:47.934. Red Bull’s reigning world champion Max Verstappen was second in 1:48.257, with Williams’ Carlos Sainz taking third.

Norris’s closest title rival—and McLaren teammate—Oscar Piastri could manage only fifth, finishing more than a second off the Briton’s pace.

On a rain-soaked Las Vegas street circuit, the 26-year-old delivered a sensational lap built on three rapid sectors to snatch pole.

“Boy, that was stressful—stressful as hell,” Norris admitted afterward. “The first few sectors felt good, but it’s so slippery out there. Hit the curb a bit like I did and you snap one way, then the other, and come close to hitting the wall. Not the nicest conditions, but I’m glad it stopped raining and we got a proper qualifying in.”

Norris, who had struggled in final practice earlier in the day and finished last on the timesheets, said he hadn’t been expecting wet weather at all.

“I had a nap expecting it to be dry, then woke up, saw the rain, and thought, ‘Oh crap,’” he joked.

Piastri, whose title challenge has stalled in recent rounds, said operational issues affected his lap. “A few things at the start didn’t go well. I had to mess around with some settings that didn’t really go how I wanted,” he said.

Verstappen, known for thriving in the wet, said the combination of the slick Vegas surface and rain created uniquely tough conditions. “It’s not fun, I can tell you. I like the wet, but this felt like driving on ice. It took ages to get the tires working,” he said.

Norris enters the Vegas weekend looking to tighten his grip on the championship after a streak of strong performances, including pole-to-flag wins in Mexico and São Paulo.

“I’m sure it’ll be an interesting race with Max and Carlos up there too,” Norris said. “Hopefully we have a good one tomorrow and everyone enjoys it.”

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton will start from the very back of the grid after finishing last in qualifying—his first time doing so due to outright pace. The Ferrari driver said he struggled to generate tire temperature.

“It was very slippery. The first set didn’t work and I couldn’t get heat in the tires,” Hamilton said. “It’s a shame, because the guys have done a great job and the car felt great in practice. But then the rain hit.”