World championship contenders Max Verstappen and Lando Norris will start Sunday's Las Vegas Grand Prix next to each other, with Verstappen able to clinch the title.

The Dutchman qualified fifth fastest around the streets of Las Vegas, just ahead of Norris who must finish ahead to keep the title race alive.

Mercedes driver George Russell qualified on pole with a blistering lap, ahead of Ferrari's Carlos Sainz and Alpine's Pierre Gasly.

Verstappen enters the third-last race weekend of the year with a 62-point lead on McLaren's Lando Norris.

For Norris to keep the title fight alive until the next weekend in Qatar, he must score three more championship points than Verstappen.

While the championship protagonists squabble in fifth and sixth, Russell will be hoping to convert the fourth pole of his F1 career into victory.

Mercedes have been the pace-setters all weekend and appear to have a competitive car for the grand prix.

"I feel it is incredible to be back on pole. We've been so quick all weekend," Russell said.

"I knew a clean lap would be enough to secure the front row. We've had a few good qualifyings recently but we need to convert that now."

Red Bull's hopes of making a late-season charge and winning a third-consecutive constructors' championship took a major hit with Verstappen's teammate Sergio Perez failing to get out of Q1.

Perez has struggled for much of this season, essentially leaving Verstappen to fight on his own against McLaren and Ferrari.

McLaren leads the constructors' championship with 593 points, 36 points ahead of Ferrari.

Red Bull is a further 13 points adrift in third place. McLaren has not won the F1 constructors' championship since 1998.