Max Verstappen clinched his fourth F1 title after finishing fifth in the Las Vegas GP. He becomes only the fifth driver in F1 history to secure four consecutive titles, joining Juan Manuel Fangio, Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel, and Lewis Hamilton.
The race was dominated by Mercedes, with George Russell taking victory ahead of his teammate Lewis Hamilton. Carlos Sainz completed the podium, finishing third for Ferrari.
1. Verstappen wins his fourth straight F1 title
2. Russell wins, 7.313secs ahead of Hamilton
3. McLaren holds on to the constructors’ championship lead
Verstappen crowned 2024 F1 champion
Heading into the Las Vegas GP, all Verstappen had to do to seal the title was finish ahead of Lando Norris. The RB20 was far from the fastest car on the street circuit, but Verstappen pulled off what he had to do in the race.
Although he relinquished a podium finish after allowing both Ferraris through in the closing stages, a P5 finish was enough for Verstappen to win the championship. Despite a strong start to the season, which saw the Red Bull driver win seven out of the first 10 races, it was far from smooth sailing for Verstappen. Red Bull’s declining form, combined with other teams, in particular McLaren, gaining ground, resulted in a 10-race victory drought that was finally broken at the Brazil GP.
“But as a team, we kept it together, kept working on improvements, and pulled off the win. Incredibly proud of everyone, and what they have done for me. So, at the moment, I’m just feeling very relieved in a way, but also proud.”
Mercedes scores 1-2 finish
Out at the front, Russell successfully converted pole position into a race win. He kept a fast-starting Charles Leclerc at bay early on and later fended off his teammate Hamilton to take victory by a margin of 7.313 seconds.
Norris ended up crossing the line in sixth place, but his 63-point gap to Verstappen drops him out of championship contention. His McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, finished just behind him in seventh place after being handed a time penalty for a false start.
2024 F1 standings
The drivers’ championship may be done and dusted, but it looks like the constructors’ championship will go right down to the wire. McLaren currently holds the overall lead with 608 points, but Ferrari is just 24 points behind with two more rounds to go.
Red Bull holds on to the third place in the standings, 29 points behind Ferrari. Up next on the F1 calendar is the Qatar GP on November 29-December 1.
2024 F1 Las Vegas GP results
Dinshaw Magol
