Max Verstappen hits jackpot by winning fourth F1 world title in Las Vegas

Max Verstappen secured his fourth straight Formula One world title by finishing fifth for Red Bull at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The race was convincingly won by George Russell of Mercedes, who led from the start and showcased impressive dominance throughout.

Verstappen put in a fantastic performance, successfully outpacing his championship contender Lando Norris from McLaren, who finished in sixth place. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton staged an impressive recovery, moving up from 10th on the starting grid to secure second place. Ferrari drivers Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc took the third and fourth spots, respectively.

The Dutch driver has now joined an exclusive club of racers, equaling the number of world championships won by Alain Prost and Sebastian Vettel. The only ones ahead of him are Juan Manuel Fangio with five titles and Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton, who each have seven. At just 27 years old, Verstappen has shown remarkable skill this season, suggesting that more championships are definitely within his reach.

Although winning wasn't likely for Verstappen due to the strong performance of Mercedes and Red Bull's difficulties with speed in Las Vegas, he still managed to secure the championship. He currently holds a 63-point lead, with only 60 points up for grabs in the last two races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

Verstappen's victory marks a significant milestone, as this has been his toughest championship win so far. Throughout much of the latter half of the season, he faced fierce competition from McLaren and dealt with a car that was hard to manage, which he referred to as "a monster." Despite these challenges, he managed to secure the necessary points to keep his early-season lead and showed remarkable composure to clinch the title. This achievement truly highlights his determination and resilience.

Furthermore, managing to achieve this during a period filled with significant chaos and controversy for the team demonstrates Verstappen's growth and his capacity to concentrate on his responsibilities, even amidst the surrounding distractions. This was especially evident when team leader Christian Horner faced allegations of inappropriate conduct from a female staff member—claims he refuted and which were ultimately dismissed by an independent investigation. Additionally, Verstappen’s father, Jos, publicly urged for Horner's removal from his position, while designer Adrian Newey made the choice to depart from the team.

Amid the chaos surrounding Red Bull and their car's lack of progress, which hindered its speed instead of enhancing it, Verstappen consistently showed up and outperformed the vehicle with remarkable composure despite the turmoil. His performance in Vegas was a prime example; he executed his strategy flawlessly, doing exactly what was needed.

For Russell, this was a significant moment of vindication following the disappointment of having his win at the Belgian Grand Prix canceled due to his car being deemed too heavy. The 26-year-old handled the situation in Spa with poise and demonstrated impressive maturity in overcoming what was a tough experience. He has returned with a renewed determination and vigor.

This marks Russell's first victory in Las Vegas, as well as Mercedes' first win at this location. The team remains somewhat confused about the performance of their car each weekend, as it varies based on the circuit and track conditions. However, on the streets of Las Vegas, the car seemed to perform well in the cooler temperatures. Russell showed excellent skill and concentration to secure a challenging win.

Russell maintained his position at the front as they entered the first turn, with Leclerc quickly moving up to second. Verstappen managed to stay ahead of Norris, who started in fifth and sixth on the grid. The competition was fierce at the front during the initial laps, with Russell leading and Leclerc right behind him. On the fourth lap, Verstappen successfully overtook Pierre Gasly’s Alpine to take the fourth spot.

Norris climbed to fifth place while Russell started to solidify his position as his tires began to perform better, showcasing the speed the Mercedes had displayed throughout the weekend. Both Leclerc and Norris made their pit stops on lap 10, clearly struggling with tire wear. Sainz faced similar issues and came in a lap later, but it was evident that Verstappen's tires were lasting longer, as were those of Russell and Hamilton, who all chose to stay out on the track.

On lap 12, Verstappen switched to hard tires and came out still ahead of Norris and the two Ferraris. After Hamilton and Russell completed their pit stops, Russell held onto his lead, but Verstappen was now in second place, with Hamilton ahead of Norris. Hamilton then pursued Leclerc, while Russell continued to enjoy a solid ten-second lead at the front.

Verstappen made his second pit stop on lap 28, and Hamilton also switched to new hard tires around the same time. Norris made his stop on lap 31, while Hamilton, pushing hard, managed to catch up to Verstappen. Understanding the broader situation, Verstappen chose not to fight him off and allowed the British driver to slip by on lap 32. Once the second pit stops had shaken out, Russell was still leading the race with Hamilton in second place, but with Norris back in sixth, it seemed the outcome was nearly decided.

Hamilton was trailing Russell by nine seconds, but as they approached the final 13 laps, he started closing the gap. However, Russell increased his speed and managed to maintain his lead, bringing it back to seven seconds.

Ferrari was faster than Red Bull towards the end of the race, allowing both Sainz and Leclerc to overtake Verstappen. The world champion opted not to risk it by defending too aggressively.