Success! Max Verstappen has become the Formula 1 World Champion for the fourth consecutive time at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The Red Bull driver finished fifth in the world’s gambling capital, behind winner George Russell. McLaren driver Lando Norris, Verstappen’s only title rival before the start, finished sixth. With two races left, Verstappen is now uncatchable. The jackpot is his!
Here is a bird’s-eye view of the Las Vegas Grand Prix:
ROUND 1/50: The start of the Las Vegas Grand Prix goes off without a hitch. Charles Leclerc moves up from P4 to P2, behind pole sitter George Russell, and Max Verstappen also navigates the first corners without incident, with Lando Norris close behind. He’s lucky that Yuki Tsunoda nearly rear-ends him.
ROUND 4/50: Max Verstappen overtakes Pierre Gasly with the help of DRS and moves up to P4, behind Russell, Leclerc, and Carlos Sainz respectively. Norris is still stuck at P6.
ROUND 8/50: Leclerc seems to have a problem with his car and falls back. Max Verstappen also benefits and moves up to P3. Meanwhile, Norris has managed to outmaneuver Alpine driver Gasly. The McLaren Brit is now at P5.
ROUND 10/50: Norris and Leclerc both go in for an early pit stop, forced by problems with their tires. They return to the track on hard tires at P16 and P17. Meanwhile, Verstappen has moved up to P2, albeit a good eight seconds behind Russell.
ROUND 12/50: Max Verstappen also opts for his first pit stop and switches to the hard compound. He returns to the track at P7, right in the thick of traffic. Ahead of Colapinto, Sainz, Leclerc, and Norris. Verstappen easily passes Magnussen and Bottas.
Sour Retirement for Gasly
ROUND 16/60: A bitter end to the race for Pierre Gasly. The Alpine driver had started the race in third place but retires due to power loss from his Renault engine. Meanwhile, everything is going according to plan for Max Verstappen. He is in P2, behind Russell. Norris is at P7.
ROUND 18/50: Sergio Pérez can’t do much to support Max Verstappen and is easily overtaken by Hamilton and Norris at P5. He immediately goes in for a pit stop and swaps his hard tires for mediums. Hamilton, in particular, is showing good speed.
ROUND 25/50: Halfway through the race, things are looking good for Max Verstappen. He is in second place, a good ten seconds behind Russell. Behind him are Sainz, Leclerc, Hamilton, and then – at a considerable distance – Lando Norris. Meanwhile, Alexander Albon retires due to turbo problems.
Lap 27/50: Second Pitstop for Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen makes his second pitstop in a mediocre time of 3.4 seconds. He returns to the track more than six seconds behind Norris, in P5, and has a clear track. Hamilton has also been in the pits and is now behind Verstappen.
Ferrari’s Pitcrew Caught Napping
Lap 28/50: Delayed Pitstop for Sainz
Sainz wanted to pit in lap 27, but Ferrari’s pitcrew was not ready. The stop is therefore delayed by one lap, costing Sainz a position.
Lap 32/50: Unmatched Speed from Mercedes
The speed of both Mercedes cars is unparalleled. Russell leads, with more than ten seconds ahead of teammate Hamilton who has now overtaken Verstappen. Verstappen holds a solid P3, with Norris in P7 after his second stop.
Lap 38/50: Overtake of the Day by Sergio Pérez
The overtaking move of the day comes from the often (and rightly) criticized Sergio Pérez. He takes all the risks in the world and risks a safety car situation, but with one out-braking move, he overtakes Liam Lawson and Kevin Magnussen. He moves up to P12.
Lap 40/50: Verstappen’s Radio Query
Max Verstappen asks his race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, over the radio if he should defend P3 against the Ferraris of Sainz and Leclerc behind him. The answer is affirmative. Meanwhile, Lando Norris is at a considerable distance in P6.
Ferraris Hunting Down Verstappen
Lap 42/50: Sainz Overtakes Verstappen
With the help of DRS, Sainz easily overtakes Verstappen and takes over the third position in the race, behind Russell and Hamilton. Verstappen, for now, fends off Leclerc’s attack.
Lap 47/50: Leclerc Overtakes Verstappen
Charles Leclerc overtakes Max Verstappen purely on speed, causing Verstappen to drop back to P5. It doesn’t matter much, though. Lando Norris is at a safe distance behind him. The title is within their grasp!
Lap 50/50: Verstappen Crowned World Champion
Actor Sylvester Stallone waves the checkered flag. George Russell wins the race, followed by Lewis Hamilton, but more importantly: Max Verstappen is officially the Formula 1 World Champion of 2024! The jackpot is theirs!
