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

Max Verstappen claimed his fourth consecutive Formula One world championship with a solid fifth place for Red Bull at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, which was won in dominant fashion and with consummate control from the front of the grid by Mercedes’ George Russell.

Verstappen delivered strongly to do exactly what was needed in beating his title rival McLaren’s Lando Norris, who came in sixth. Lewis Hamilton gave a superb comeback drive to claim second place from 10th on the grid. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc were in third and fourth.

The Dutch driver now stands alongside an elite group of drivers, matching the world championship tally of Alain Prost and Sebastian Vettel. Only Juan Manuel Fangio with five and Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton on seven apiece have more. Verstappen is still only 27 years old and on the form he has demonstrated this season further titles are surely within his grasp.

While a win was not really on the cards for Verstappen given the speed of Mercedes and that Red Bull has struggled for pace in Las Vegas, he did enough to close out the title.He leads by 63 points with a maximum of 60 left available at the final two meetings in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

It is no little achievement by Verstappen, the hardest-fought of his four world championships. He has been outperformed by McLaren for almost all of the second half of the season, and struggled with a car that lacked balance. Verstappen had described it as “a monster”. But to grind out the results he required to maintain his early-season lead and hold his nerve to seal the title was an enormously impressive demonstration of determination and resilience.

Moreover, to do so during a season when the team endured no little turmoil and controversy, was indicative of Verstappen’s maturity and his ability to focus on the job at hand despite the overwhelming noise that was being generated around him. Not least when team principal Christian Horner was accused of inappropriate behaviour by a female employee, a complaint he denied and that was dismissed by an independent enquiry; then his father Jos calling for Horner to be removed as principal and the decision by designer Adrian Newey to leave the team.

As the whirlwind raged around Red Bull and their car was stalled with developments that robbed it of pace rather than making improvements, Verstappen repeatedly turned up and out-drove the machinery, with preternatural calm in the eye of the storm. His drive in Vegas, a controlled piece of execution to do exactly what was required, was a case in point.

For Russell this was a remarkable moment of redemption after the heartbreak of having his victory at the Belgian Grand Prix annulled when his car was found to be overweight. The 26-year-old took the decision in Spa with good grace and displayed enormous maturity to move on from what was a painful moment and has come back with such a strong drive.

It is Russell’s first win in Las Vegas and Mercedes’ first here. The team continue to be somewhat perplexed as to just what sort of performance their car will offer on any given weekend, depending on the circuit and track conditions. Certainly on the streets of Las Vegas, in cool temperatures it had very much found its window and Russell displayed great control and focus to seal a hard-fought race.

Russell held his lead through turn one as Leclerc jumped into second place, while Verstappen crucially also just clung on in front of Norris from fifth and sixth on the grid. It remained tight at the front for the opening laps Russell closely followed by Leclerc, while Verstappen finally made a pass on Pierre Gasly’s Alpine for fourth on lap four.

Norris moved to fifth as Russell began to consolidate as his tyres came to him and the Mercedes demonstrated the pace it had shown all weekend. Leclerc and Norris pitted on lap 10, with the tyre wear clearly an issue. Sainz too was suffering and he pitted a lap later but noticeably Verstappen’s rubber was holding up better, as was that of Russell and Hamilton, with all three drivers staying out.

Verstappen came in on lap 12 to take the hard tyres and emerged still in front of Norris and both Ferraris. With Hamilton and Russell finally both pitting, Russell maintained his lead but now with Verstappen in second and Hamilton in front of Norris. Hamilton set off after Leclerc as Russell maintained a full ten second advantage out front.

Verstappen took his second stop on lap 28 as did Hamilton for new hard tyres. Norris followed on lap 31 while Hamilton on a charge caught Verstappen who, aware of the bigger picture, did not resist and let the British driver ease past on lap 32. When the second stops worked through Russell was still in control out front and Hamilton in second, but with Norris in sixth, the game all but up.

Hamilton had nine second-deficit to Russell but was haring after his teammatewith 13 laps to go. But Russell upped his pace and once more stabilised his lead at seven seconds.

Ferrari enjoyed the better pace over the Red Bull at the close and Sainz and Leclerc both passed Verstappen, the world champion choosing not to take any chances defending too vigorously.