Max Verstappen has locked in his fourth Formula 1 world championship, with a composed fifth-place finish at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Meanwhile, George Russell converted pole position into a commanding victory, leading a Mercedes 1-2 as he held off a charging Lewis Hamilton.
The championship equation for Verstappen was straightforward: finish ahead of Lando Norris to secure the title. The Dutchman delivered, crossing the line in fifth as Norris followed in sixth. Early in the race, Verstappen held third but slipped behind both Ferraris in the closing 16 km (10 miles), prioritizing the title over a dogfight.
Up front, Russell faced relentless pressure from Hamilton, who had carved his way through the pack from 10th on the grid. The seven-time champion dispatched Oscar Piastri and Yuki Tsunoda in the opening laps before running a long first stint. This strategy allowed him to emerge behind Norris, the Ferraris, and Verstappen, setting the stage for a thrilling recovery drive.
Hamilton briefly feared his strategy had cost him ground, only to regain composure and pounce on Norris. Ferrari’s pit stop blunders played right into his hands, as Carlos Sainz aborted a pit entry while leading Hamilton. This mistake handed the Brit an undercut, propelling him into the fight for a podium.
By lap 31, Hamilton powered past Verstappen with ease, setting his sights on Russell. The younger Mercedes driver responded, maintaining a steady gap as Hamilton’s tyres began to grain in the final 20 km (12 miles). The gap stabilized, and Russell crossed the line with a 7.3-second margin, securing his second win of 2024.
Ferrari salvaged a podium with Sainz finishing third, keeping team-mate Charles Leclerc behind him. Leclerc had initially surged into second off the line but burned through his medium tyres after just 11 km (7 miles), dropping positions to both Sainz and Verstappen.
On the more durable hard tyres, Ferrari found its rhythm, reeling in Verstappen during the second stint. Sainz overtook the Dutchman on lap 41, with Leclerc following suit five laps later.
Norris opted for a late pit stop for soft tyres, securing the fastest lap of the race. Despite tyre graining woes earlier, the McLaren driver maintained a comfortable gap over team-mate Piastri to finish sixth.
Piastri took seventh, ahead of Nico Hulkenberg, who earned vital points for Haas. The American team leapfrogged Alpine in the constructors’ standings, helped by Pierre Gasly’s retirement due to an apparent engine failure.
Yuki Tsunoda brought his AlphaTauri home in ninth, holding off a frustrated Sergio Pérez, who secured the final point in tenth. Fernando Alonso narrowly missed out in eleventh, capping a challenging day for Aston Martin.
As Verstappen celebrates his fourth title, attention turns to the remaining races. Can Mercedes carry this momentum into 2025? Will Ferrari iron out their inconsistencies? One thing’s certain: the Las Vegas GP delivered the high-stakes drama F1 fans crave.
Josh is an avid Petrolhead and has been creating content in the motoring space for the last two years. As a qualified Pilot, he normally travels much faster than most rood-going vehicles. His favourite brand is Koeniggsegg.
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