(Las Vegas) Max Verstappen hated everything about the Las Vegas Formula 1 Grand Prix when he arrived in the “city of vice.” The three-time reigning world champion found that exaggerated opulence dominated the race itself.
He changed his tune after signing an 18th victory this season.
“Long live Las Vegas! Viva Las Vegas! “, sang Verstappen when he crossed the checkered flag.
Verstappen didn’t miss a single opportunity to attack Saturday’s spectacle, but he still secured victory on the famous Las Vegas ‘Strip’ in an Elvis Presley-inspired combination.
“I hope everyone enjoyed it. We certainly did. I can’t wait to come back here next year and try to achieve something similar,” Verstappen said. It was a pleasant race. I had fun. »
Verstappen passed Charles Leclerc at the first corner and overcame a penalty with 13 laps remaining to continue his dominance.
Liberty expected to spend US$500 million on the first Grand Prix it promoted, but speculation before Saturday night’s race was that Liberty had gone well over budget.
The entire event almost imploded after just nine minutes during the first free practice session on Thursday. Carlos Sainz Jr. drove over a manhole and seriously damaged his Ferrari. F1 had to examine the circuit from a distance of 6.2 kilometers.
Fans were forced to leave at 1:30 a.m. Friday morning, after witnessing just nine minutes of activity on the track. The second session started at 2:30 a.m. and lasted until 4 a.m. Rather than offer an apology, F1 simply offered a $200 LVGP merchandise store credit to all ticket holders who had only purchased access on Thursday. A class action lawsuit was filed Friday against the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
It was vital for F1 to have a good race on Saturday night and, although it was Verstappen’s sixth victory in a row, it was one of the most action-packed events of the season.
Seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton, who finished seventh for the Mercedes team, said the circuit “offered better racing than most of the circuits we go to”.
“I don’t think the music stopped this whole weekend in the pits,” said Williams’ Logan Sargeant, the only American F1 driver.
Leclerc and teammate Sainz had set the two fastest times on Friday, but Sainz was handed a 10-place grid penalty as Ferrari was forced to replace his car. This allowed Verstappen to climb into second place on the starting grid.
The Dutchman forced Leclerc off the track to take the lead. The Monegasque demanded that Verstappen leave his position, but the latter only received a five-second penalty. He purged it during a later pit stop, but his Red Bull was so strong that he remained in contention for victory throughout the race.
Leclerc passed Perez to take the lead with 17 laps remaining, then three laps later Verstappen passed his teammate to take second. He and Perez then worked to create leverage that allowed Verstappen to catch Leclerc with 13 laps remaining.
Perez had overtaken Leclerc for second place, but he reclaimed it at the finish to deny Red Bull their seventh double of the season.
“I wanted this victory so much,” Leclerc said. I enjoyed the race so much. It was a second position with a lot of struggles. There’s no better race for this Las Vegas premiere. »
While Hamilton finished seventh, Perez ensured he finished the season second in the drivers’ standings.
Leclerc’s result helped Ferrari cut Mercedes’ lead in second in the constructors’ standings to four points. There is only one race left, in Abu Dhabi, next week.
Quebecer Lance Stroll had a great race, moving from 19th to fifth position aboard his Aston Martin.
