November 23, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA Oracle Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (1) celebrates his championship win after the Las Vegas Grand Prix at the Las Vegas Circuit. Mandatory credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Max Verstappen clinched his fourth consecutive World Drivers’ Championship with a fifth-place finish at the Las Vegas Grand Prix late on Saturday night, while George Russell led all 50 laps to complete a dream weekend for Mercedes.
Russell finished 7.093 ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton for his second Grand Prix win of the season and third of his career. Russell led by a wide margin for the majority of the race, but Hamilton was able to make a significant difference to that margin over the final 20 laps.
Mercedes finished the weekend having swept all three practice sessions, pole and the top two podium positions. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz completed the podium.
Verstappen finished Sunday’s Grand Prix one place ahead of Lando Norris in sixth, which put him an unassailable 64 points clear of Norris in the title chase and allowed him to win the championship at his 22nd Grand Prix of the season.
Verstappen became the third driver to win the WDC in Las Vegas. He joins Nelson Piquet (1981) and Keke Rosberg (1982) who have done so in the only two editions of the Caesars Palace Grand Prix.
Pierre Gasly suffered the first misfortune of the night as he lost his engine on lap 16. It was a heartbreaking end to a promising weekend for Gasly, who started third on the grid after a superb qualifying session in a bid to reach the podium at a second consecutive Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Alex Albon was also forced to retire 10 laps later on lap 26 as a power unit problem ended a nightmare weekend for Albon and Williams Racing that also saw Franco Colapinto suffer a heavy crash in Friday’s qualifying session.
It was a difficult night for McLaren, who were off the pace in both cars from the first lap due to a rear wing problem. It was a costly performance in terms of winning the Constructors’ Championship, which will have to be decided in the final two races as Ferrari were able to get to 24 points.
Red Bull also made a dent in that margin and are now within striking distance, 53 points going into Qatar.
–Within field level