Max Verstappen hated everything about the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Las Vegas when he arrived in the ‘city of vice’. The three-time reigning world champion thought the opulence was exaggerated and that it dominated the race as such.
He changed his speech after signing an 18e victory this season.
“Long live Las Vegas!” Long live Las Vegas! “, Verstappen sang as he crossed the checkered flag.
Verstappen didn’t miss a single opportunity to attack Saturday’s show, but he still secured victory on the famous Las Vegas Strip in an Elvis Presley-inspired suit.
“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.
It was the third race held in the United States this season, more than in any other country, and it was promoted by F1 itself and its owner, Liberty Media. But the event was lambasted – particularly by Verstappen – for its emphasis on extravagance.
Liberty expected to spend US$500 million on the first Grand Prix it had promoted, but speculation before Saturday night’s race was that Liberty had gone way over budget.
The entire event nearly imploded after just nine minutes in 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 $200 in LVGP merchandise store credits 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 Mercedes, said the circuit “gave better racing than most of the circuits we go to”.
“I don’t think the music stopped all weekend in the pits,” said Williams’ Logan Sargeant, the only American F1 driver.
Leclerc and his 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 place. 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 1-2 finish of the season.
“I wanted this victory so much,” said Leclerc. I enjoyed the race so much. It was a second position with a lot of struggles. There is 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, going from 19e in fifth position aboard his Aston Martin.