Las Vegas (AFP) – Max Verstappen claimed a fourth consecutive Formula One world title under the lights of the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Saturday. The 27-year-old Dutchman came home in fifth place in a race won by George Russell of Mercedes, making him just the sixth man in history to claim four championships, joining the likes of Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, Juan Manuel Fangio, Sebastian Vettel, and Alain Prost. McLaren’s Lando Norris, who was Verstappen’s only title rival, finished in sixth place.
“Oh my god, what a season, four times, thank you guys,” Verstappen told his Red Bull team on the radio. “It’s a little more difficult than last year, but we pulled through. Thank you so much, guys.” Russell came home 7.313 seconds clear of seven-time champion and Mercedes teammate Hamilton, who had started from 10th on the grid. The Ferraris of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc finished in third and fourth, respectively. Norris, in sixth, trailed by 43 seconds ahead of McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri. Nico Hulkenberg finished eighth for Haas, followed by RB’s Yuki Tsunoda and Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull.
Norris needed to outscore Verstappen by three points to keep his title hopes alive, and he did earn an extra point for the fastest lap, but ultimately his challenge was over. On a dry, windy, and milder night in the Nevada desert, the air and track temperature was recorded at 18 degrees as Russell made a perfect start from his fourth pole position, with Leclerc, starting from fourth, quickly moving up to second. Everyone except Fernando Alonso started on medium tires, with the Spaniard opting for softs that lasted only four laps. At the front, Leclerc made an early attempt to pass Russell, while Verstappen swept by Pierre Gasly for fourth.
As the race progressed, the Dutchman looked imperious, passing Leclerc for third on lap nine. Norris overtook Gasly for fifth, and Hamilton moved up to eighth. Piastri received a five-second penalty for a false start from outside his grid box, as Sainz, Leclerc, and Norris all pitted for hard tires, followed by Verstappen and Russell on lap 12. Hamilton took advantage of the frantic action to lead the race briefly before the order settled, with Russell in front ahead of Perez, who made an early stop, and Verstappen.
On lap 15, Perez waved Verstappen through to second behind Russell, while Gasly retired due to engine failure in his Alpine. Hamilton, demonstrating great speed, climbed to fifth by lap 20, behind the two Ferraris, which left Norris struggling in sixth. “The front right looks like it is about to go any lap,” reported Norris, with his title dream appearing to evaporate as McLaren struggled to find grip.
By half-distance, Russell led Verstappen by 11 seconds, with Sainz, who was complaining about his tires, sitting in third ahead of Leclerc and Hamilton. On lap 28, both multiple champions pitted. Hamilton was impeded by Sainz, who was instructed to stay out and swap places with Leclerc; Sainz pitted a lap later, dropping to sixth. These events allowed Norris to briefly rise to third before he pitted again on lap 31, falling to seventh, while Hamilton cruised past Verstappen for second place behind Russell.
Irked by suggestions that his “shelf life” was ending, Hamilton, on older tires, managed to trim Russell’s lead from 11 seconds to six over five impressive laps. Verstappen, focused on the championship, was passed by Sainz but held off Leclerc, who had Norris 10 seconds behind in sixth, until lap 47, when the Monegasque overtook him for fourth.
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