Max Verstappen secured his fourth Formula 1 World Championship in style under the dazzling lights of Las Vegas, while George Russell delivered a commanding performance to claim victory in a dramatic and high-stakes Grand Prix.
A high-stakes race is set to take place in Las Vegas today.
Max Verstappen aims for a fourth consecutive world title if he can, to sum up, finish ahead of Lando Norris at the finish. Fifth on the grid ahead of the Briton, the Dutchman is already well-placed for this.
Ferrari, for its part, has placed both its cars high on the grid—Carlos Sainz in second and Charles Leclerc in fourth—ahead of the McLaren F1s, enough to hope, with good race pace, to chip away at the Woking team’s 36-point advantage in the constructors’ championship.
From pole position, George Russell will obviously play his hand to try to secure a fourth Grand Prix win for Mercedes F1 this year, while Pierre Gasly, third on the grid, has nothing to lose and is in a perfect position to score big points and attempt to consolidate Alpine F1’s sixth place in the constructors’ championship.
At the back of the grid, Franco Colapinto has been confirmed to start with a repaired car following his crash in Q2 yesterday. The Argentinian must, however, start from the back of the grid.
Formation lap: Teams are primarily focused on managing tire degradation, so it’s no surprise to see nearly all drivers starting on mediums, except at the back of the grid, where Perez, Bottas, and Colapinto have opted for the hard compound.
Start: A clean and uneventful start. Russell holds pole, Sainz remains in second, and Leclerc slips past Gasly. Verstappen and Norris stay fifth and sixth ahead of Tsunoda, Piastri, Hulkenberg, and Hamilton.
Lap 1: Some battles begin to take shape, but the opening lap is trouble-free for all 20 drivers.
Lap 2: Leclerc overtakes Sainz for second place and immediately puts pressure on Russell.
Lap 3: A DRS train forms. Sainz starts to lose ground to Gasly, Verstappen, and Norris behind him. Leclerc sets the fastest lap with a 1:38.329.
Lap 4: Russell continues to fend off a very aggressive Leclerc, while Verstappen passes Gasly for fourth. Sainz begins closing in on the leading duo.
Lap 5: Verstappen has yet to catch up to the leading trio. Russell has built a gap of over a second on Leclerc, putting himself out of DRS range.
Lap 6: Russell pushes with a more aggressive pace, extending his lead to 2.2 seconds. Sainz is now right on his teammate’s tail, while Verstappen lags nearly five seconds behind.
Lap 7: Hamilton attacks Piastri, but the McLaren driver holds firm. Sainz overtakes Leclerc and reduces the gap to Russell to three seconds.
Lap 8: Verstappen passes Leclerc, while Norris overtakes Gasly, closing to within four seconds of his title rival.
Lap 9: Hamilton moves past Tsunoda into seventh, while Ferrari and McLaren call Leclerc and Norris into the pits.
Lap 10: Leclerc and Norris rejoin in 16th and 17th positions, respectively, as Piastri receives a five-second penalty for a false start. Verstappen overtakes Sainz.
Lap 11: Sainz pits and rejoins just ahead of Leclerc. So far, only the Mercedes seems unaffected by performance drop-off, with Russell holding a nine-second lead over Verstappen. Hamilton is six seconds behind Verstappen, while Nico Hülkenberg continues a strong run.
Lap 12: Verstappen pits and rejoins in seventh, ahead of Colapinto and Sainz but stuck behind Bottas.
Lap 13: Russell rejoins in second place, five seconds behind Hamilton, who takes the lead, and three seconds ahead of Hülkenberg and Pérez, who haven’t pitted yet. Verstappen passes Magnussen for fifth, while Sainz, Leclerc, and Norris all clear Bottas and Colapinto. Hamilton dives into the pits.
Lap 14: The seven-time world champion re-emerges in ninth behind Norris, who overtakes Magnussen. Up front, Russell is significantly faster than Pérez and Hülkenberg behind him. Hülkenberg pits at the end of the lap.
Lap 15: Verstappen moves up to third, 8.9 seconds behind Russell, with a 2.2-second gap over Sainz. Hülkenberg rejoins in 16th. Gasly complains of power issues, and the Alpine engine fails dramatically. After his incredible qualifying, the Frenchman’s race is over.
Lap 16: Hamilton sets the fastest lap with a 1:37.772 despite frustration over rejoining in seventh. The seven-time champion overtakes Norris for sixth, while Pérez loses positions to both Ferraris.
Lap 17: Hamilton posts another fastest lap of 1:37.091, proving himself the standout driver as the first third of the race concludes. He overtakes Pérez, with Norris following suit. Pérez pits at the end of the lap.
Lap 18: Russell edges slightly ahead in pace compared to Verstappen, who is now 9.9 seconds behind the Briton. Sainz trails Verstappen by 2.3 seconds, with Leclerc three seconds behind his teammate. Hamilton is closing in on the Ferraris, with Norris in pursuit.
Lap 19: Tsunoda, Piastri, Albon, and Alonso round out the top 10, followed by Hülkenberg and Zhou. Lawson leads Pérez and Ocon, who missed his pit box. Stroll, Colapinto, Magnussen, and Bottas trail the pack.
Lap 20: The gap between the leaders remains stable, with Leclerc holding off Hamilton after an impressive charge by his future teammate.
Lap 22: Russell extends his lead over Verstappen to 10 seconds, with Sainz still 2.2 seconds behind. Ferrari considers switching to “Plan C,” but Sainz protests, saying “this changes everything,” and demands quick updates. The Scuderia confirms that “Plan A” remains the priority. Leclerc is 2.8 seconds behind Sainz, while Hamilton continues to shadow the second Ferrari.
Lap 23: Hamilton clocks the fastest lap at 1:37.085. Leclerc is just slightly slower, with both lapping half a second faster than Russell, Verstappen, and Sainz. Norris reports an issue with his front-right tire, while Hülkenberg overtakes Albon for ninth.
Lap 24: The Pirelli tire degradation is severe in Las Vegas, and Norris is the latest to struggle. The McLaren driver is losing over a second per lap to Hamilton and voices concerns about his front-right tire’s condition.
Lap 25: Midway through the race, with 50 laps scheduled, Russell leads by 10.1 seconds over Verstappen, who holds a 2.3-second gap to Sainz. Leclerc has closed to within 1.3 seconds of his teammate, with Hamilton still tailing the Monegasque closely. Norris follows in sixth, ahead of Tsunoda, whose pace has also dropped off. Piastri, Hülkenberg, and Albon complete the top 10. Zhou runs 11th, ahead of Pérez, who has passed Lawson, followed by Ocon, Stroll, Colapinto, Alonso—who has just pitted again—Magnussen, and Bottas.
Lap 26: Piastri pits, and Albon retires from the race. Hülkenberg moves up to eighth, followed by Zhou and Pérez.
Lap 27: Hamilton sets the fastest lap of the race at 1:37.055, regaining ground on Leclerc ahead of him.
Lap 28: Sainz requests to pit as his tires are degrading rapidly, lapping in 1:38.3 alongside Verstappen. Leclerc overtakes Sainz, who manages to stay ahead of Hamilton.
Lap 29: Verstappen and Hamilton pit, but the Ferraris remain on track. Hamilton clearly aims to undercut Sainz, or even Leclerc. At the front, Russell is the only driver still lapping in the 1:37s, extending his lead to 15 seconds over Leclerc. Sainz grows frustrated at not being allowed to pit, with Ferrari telling him they “weren’t ready.” The Spaniard vents on the radio: “Wake up, guys!”
Lap 30: Sainz finally pits but, as feared, rejoins behind Hamilton, 3.5 seconds adrift of the Mercedes. Hamilton sets the fastest lap with a 1:36.951 and closes to within 1.3 seconds of Verstappen. Russell’s lead at the front grows to 16 seconds.
Lap 31: Verstappen and Hamilton close rapidly on Norris, who has pitted. The McLaren driver temporarily gained a position over Verstappen to delay the Dutchman’s title hopes, but he rejoins in seventh, putting the title back within Verstappen’s grasp. Hamilton sets the fastest lap with a 1:36.748, closing to within three-tenths of Verstappen. He attacks on the long straight and claims third place.
Lap 32: Leclerc pits as Hamilton sets another fastest lap with a 1:36.412! Both Mercedes are now leading, separated by 32 seconds. Russell has a comfortable margin to pit and rejoin in the lead.
Lap 33: Mercedes brings Russell in, and he switches to fresh hard tires. The Briton rejoins with a 12-second lead over Hamilton, who is already pulling away from Verstappen. Leclerc rejoins behind Sainz. Pérez makes his second stop and reemerges in 15th.
Lap 34: Russell struggles to find pace on his hard tires early in the stint, allowing Hamilton to close the gap to 10 seconds. Hülkenberg pits and rejoins in 12th, while Colapinto takes 16th from Bottas. Currently, Zhou, Ocon, and Lawson occupy the final points-paying positions, but Tsunoda, in 11th, is closing in quickly and immediately overtakes Lawson.
Lap 35: Russell begins to regain rhythm, slightly stabilizing the gap to Hamilton at just over 10 seconds. However, Hamilton pushes harder and reduces the gap to under 10 seconds. Zhou pits and rejoins in 16th, just ahead of Bottas.
Lap 36: Russell sets his personal best lap, but Hamilton counters with the fastest lap of the race at 1:36.397, cutting the gap to 9.1 seconds. Verstappen is 3.6 seconds behind Hamilton, with Sainz closing in on the Red Bull, just 2.6 seconds back and lapping faster. Leclerc matches his teammate’s pace, while Norris trails Leclerc by 12 seconds, holding a 10-second lead over Piastri. The Mercedes drivers are running in isolation, as Tsunoda, now ahead of Ocon, trails Piastri by 6.4 seconds.
Lap 37: Hamilton closes further to 8.2 seconds behind Russell, clocking a fastest lap of 1:36.288. Leclerc, however, bests him with a 1:36.285, as both Ferraris continue to gain on Verstappen.
Lap 38: Hamilton reclaims the fastest lap with a 1:36.177, matched exactly by Leclerc. Russell’s lead shrinks to 7.6 seconds over his teammate. Alonso overtakes Ocon for 10th place.
Lap 39: Hamilton sets the fastest lap with a 1:36.148, only to be beaten by Sainz with a 1:36.125 and then by Leclerc with a 1:36.079. Magnussen overtakes Lawson, who is then passed by Colapinto before heading to the pits.
Lap 40: Hamilton reclaims the fastest lap with a 1:35.880, cutting the gap between the Mercedes to under seven seconds. Verstappen asks whether he should defend against the Ferraris or let them through, with the clear priority being to secure his fourth title today. Pérez overtakes Ocon for 11th place.
Lap 41: Leclerc sets a new fastest lap at 1:35.674. Russell appears to be managing his pace, but the gap falls below six seconds with nine laps remaining.
Lap 42: Hamilton again takes the fastest lap with a 1:35.480. Sainz overtakes Verstappen for third place.
Lap 43: Hamilton reduces Russell’s lead by another half-second, bringing the gap to 5.3 seconds. Sainz holds an eight-second advantage over Verstappen, who stays within DRS range to fend off Leclerc. Norris picks up his pace but remains 11 seconds behind.
Lap 44: Hamilton’s charge stalls, with the gap to Russell stabilizing. Mercedes appears poised for a one-two finish, marking two wins each for their drivers this season. Verstappen clings to within a second of Sainz, holding fourth place. Norris is lapping slightly faster than Leclerc but remains 10 seconds behind, keeping Piastri 20 seconds adrift.
Lap 45: The gap between Russell and Hamilton drops below five seconds, with Sainz trailing at 9.6 seconds. Verstappen has fallen out of DRS range of Sainz, making it increasingly difficult for him to hold onto fourth place.
Lap 46: Pérez overtakes Alonso to claim 10th place. Leclerc dives under braking and passes Verstappen for fourth. Despite dropping to fifth, Verstappen is on track to secure the championship at the finish line, echoing his father-in-law Nelson Piquet in 1981 and Keke Rosberg in 1982, both crowned in Las Vegas at the Caesars Palace circuit.
Lap 46: Pérez overtakes Alonso to claim 10th place. Leclerc dives under braking to pass Verstappen for fourth. Verstappen is set to clinch the championship with a fifth-place finish, mirroring his father-in-law Nelson Piquet in 1981 and Keke Rosberg in 1982, both crowned in Las Vegas at the Caesars Palace circuit.
Lap 48: Russell is now faster than Hamilton, and the gap extends back above six seconds after a mistake from the seven-time world champion. There’s no concern, as Sainz trails by eight seconds, with Leclerc 1.9 seconds behind his teammate. Verstappen has dropped out of DRS range from the Monegasque.
Lap 49: Norris pits for soft tires in a bid to claim the fastest lap. Hamilton, now managing his race, is seven seconds behind his teammate Russell.
Final Lap: Norris sets a strong first sector and follows up with an impressive second sector in pursuit of the fastest lap.
Finish: Russell claims victory at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, leading a Mercedes one-two with Hamilton in second! Sainz finishes third ahead of Leclerc, with Max Verstappen securing his fourth consecutive world title in fifth place.
Norris takes sixth and clocks the fastest lap with a 1:34.876, earning McLaren an extra point in the Constructors’ Championship, as Piastri follows in seventh. Hülkenberg secures eighth, with Tsunoda and Pérez rounding out the top 10, the latter claiming a single point.
Alonso finishes 11th, ahead of Magnussen, who delivers an exceptional performance with just one pit stop—the only driver to do so. Zhou takes 13th, followed by Colapinto, Stroll, Lawson, Ocon—who attempted a late stop—and Bottas.
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Diff | Stops |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | George Russell | Mercedes W15 | 50 Laps – 1h24m55.800s | 2 |
| 02 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes W15 | +7.313 | 2 |
| 03 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari SF-24 | +11.906 | 2 |
| 04 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari SF-24 | +14.283 | 2 |
| 05 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Honda RBPT RB20 | +16.582 | 2 |
| 06 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes MCL38 | +43.385 | 3 |
| 07 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes MCL38 | +51.365 | 2 |
| 08 | Nico Hülkenberg | Haas Ferrari VF-24 | +59.808 | 2 |
| 09 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB Honda RBPT VCARB 01 | +62.808 | 2 |
| 10 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull Honda RBPT RB20 | +63.114 | 2 |
| 11 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR24 | +69.195 | 2 |
| 12 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas Ferrari VF-24 | +69.803 | 1 |
| 13 | Guanyu Zhou | Stake F1 Kick Sauber C44 | +74.085 | 2 |
| 14 | Franco Colapinto | Williams Mercedes FW46 | +75.172 | 2 |
| 15 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR24 | +84.102 | 2 |
| 16 | Liam Lawson | RB Honda RBPT VCARB 01 | +91.005 | 2 |
| 17 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault A524 | +1 lap | 3 |
| 18 | Valtteri Bottas | Stake F1 Kick Sauber C44 | +1 lap | 2 |
| 19 | Alex Albon | Williams Mercedes FW46 | DNF | 2 |
| 20 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault A524 | DNF | 1 |
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Verstappen Crowned F1 World Champion 2024 Verstappen Crowned F1 World Champion 2024 Verstappen Crowned F1 World Champion 2024
