Chaos Reigns in Wet Conditions: Albon Slams FIA Following Turbulent Las Vegas Qualifying
In an electrifying showdown that left fans on the edge of their seats, Alex Albon and rookie sensation Gabriel Bortoleto faced an uphill battle during the treacherous qualifying session for the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix. The iconic Strip circuit transformed into a rain-soaked battleground, where grip and visibility evaporated like the sun on a desert day, leading to a heart-pounding series of events that has ignited heated discussions around the FIA’s decisions.
Both drivers found themselves dramatically eliminated in Q1, with Albon, representing Williams, set to start the race from the 16th position, while Bortoleto will begin two spots behind him. The pressure was palpable, and Albon did not hold back in expressing his frustration. “Frustrating in many ways,” he lamented to reporters after the session. “We were unfortunately in the slow group, where I think it was Lewis [Hamilton], myself, Liam [Lawson]. I kept catching them all and getting into dirty air. I had one clean lap, so I kind of had to make it count.”
As the rain hammered down, Albon’s disbelief at the FIA’s decision to continue the session was evident. “I’m surprised we were driving, to be honest. The aquaplaning into Turn 14 was incredible. It was a little bit of a lottery if you got it or not. But yeah, it was sketchy,” he stated, clearly shaken by the conditions.
The Las Vegas street circuit, while notorious for its challenges, seemed to hold up better than expected in the rain. “The wet works because there are no long corners or high-speed sections that can damage it. It’s straight-line braking and accelerating, which is good,” Albon noted. However, he didn’t shy away from admitting that the conditions were perilously close to the limit. “I think Turkey 2020 still tops it, but it was severe.”
The question on everyone’s lips: Should race control have intervened? Albon believes they missed an opportunity to call for a red flag. “I think they could see that cars were aquaplaning and maybe could have done something about it earlier,” he argued, suggesting that a pause could have alleviated the randomness of the situation.
For Bortoleto, the rain brought both excitement and a crisis of confidence. “I felt very low grip and I couldn’t extract a lot of grip in the last two laps. I lost a bit of confidence with the car,” he admitted. The Brazilian rookie described the conditions from his cockpit as “zero grip, very bad, definitely the worst I’ve been in a Formula 1 car.” Despite this setback, he managed to maintain a hopeful perspective, stating, “It’s raining, you know. When the rain is like this, it’s also cool to be in these circumstances.”
As the clouds loom over the Las Vegas circuit and the drivers prepare for the race, the question remains: How will the FIA navigate the fine line between safety and the thrill of competition? The storm has only just begun, and all eyes will be on the track as the drivers face not only their rivals but the unpredictable forces of nature. In a world where every second counts, the stakes have never been higher.








