2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix | 8 talking points

Verstappen goes fourth

Like Nelson Piquet in 1981 and Keke Rosberg in 1982, Max Verstappen clinched an F1 title in Las Vegas. And he did so with a measured and mature drive to join Alain Prost and Sebastian Vettel as a four-time champion.

Verstappen fully deserved all of the plaudits that came his way in the aftermath. Yes, he’s a strong flavour for some of us in the way he chooses to conduct himself at times –but there can be no denying his brilliance behind the wheel of a racing car. Still only 27, he is already classed among the sport’s greats and this year responded superbly to the challenge of having to dig deep to win his fourth consecutive crown.

After early-season domination that allowed Verstappen to build up his crucial points lead, both team and driver found themselves on the backfoot during a four-month victory drought. But, while at times the Dutchman lost his temper with his team, he never actually cracked.

As title rival and old friend Lando Norris put it, Verstappen drove flawlessly to keep his score ticking over. Having used the mixed weather in Brazil to deliver one of the great comeback victories from a lowly grid slot, in Las Vegas he lacked the machinery to win his title from the front, but kept his eyes on the prize and delivered anyway at his first opportunity to tie up the title.

Just beating Norris was all he had to do, and with the McLarens lacking the cutting edge they’ve shown elsewhere this season, a solid, unspectacular fifth – one place ahead of Norris – got the job done. Chapeau to the champion.

Russell’s happy surprise

Up front, George Russell remained at a loss to explain Mercedes’ stunning form – but after a difficult, inconsistent autumn the team had a clear edge in the cold night air in Nevada. Russell claimed a resounding pole position, then delivered a textbook performance to control the race from the front and score his third grand prix win. Verstappen’s title stole most of the limelight, but Russell also deserved great credit for a fine drive.

Hamilton kicking himself

Lewis Hamilton put in a spectacular drive to enhance Mercedes’ happy surprise by making it a one-two. But the seven-time champion knew his poor qualifying had cost him the chance of adding to his own victory tally.

Hamilton only started tenth, grist to the mill for those who might like to speculate he’s a fading force as he approaches 40. But, while qualifying has become strangely difficult for him, Hamilton tends to show his class on race day, just as he did in Vegas. The controlled aggression in his first stint, as he looked after his tyres while climbing up the order, took him past Norris for sixth after his first stop. Mercedes pitted him early for his second stop which vaulted him past the Ferraris, then Verstappen sensibly kept to his brief of driving for his title and didn’t fight his old nemesis when he came storming past.

Hamilton closed on Russell, but the younger Briton had everything under control. Had Lewis caught George, that would have been juicy – given the circumstances, Hamilton would have had no reason to hold back from a full attack. But it never really got close to that point. For the sake of Toto Wolff’s blood pressure, perhaps that’s just as well.

Leclerc vents in frustration

The sweary tirade on the radio after the flag was out of character for Charles Leclerc. But the Monegasque was frustrated to finish only fourth after challenging for the lead in the opening stages. A good start took him past team-mate Carlos Sainz Jr., but in challenging Russell for the lead Leclerc took too much life from his medium tyres and then lost the places he’d gained to Sainz and Verstappen. His two stints on the hard tyres didn’t go much better, and then he let rip on the slow-down lap, appearing to suggest he had beef with Sainz over track position following the second stops – although he rowed back on that afterwards and refused to expand on his grievance.

A year on from missing out on victory in Vegas, Leclerc this time missed the podium, on a weekend that had promised so much more.

Sainz avoids penalty for pitlane incident

His team-mate finished behind the Mercs, but Sainz, too, was a little disgruntled. Having argued to come in earlier for his second stop, the Spaniard was finally called – only for a last-second abort leaving him cutting back across solid white lines and chevrons to miss the pit entry and complete another lap. The team admitted it hadn’t been ready for the stop, which seemed bizarre, and a bit of a mess. Sainz reacted with anger on the radio, but at least avoided a penalty for the moment. Beaten by Hamilton to second, he didn’t exactly seem delighted with his podium third.

Constructors’ battle closes up

But while Ferrari was disappointed to play second fiddle to Mercedes in Vegas and was left to manage niggle between its drivers, the three-four result did at least allow the team to close the gap on McLaren in their fight for constructors’ honours. With Norris only sixth, one place ahead of Oscar Piastri (penalised for a false start for narrowly overstepping his grid box), the team’s lead over the reds is down to just 24 points with two to play. Now with the drivers’ title decided, this battle will become the focus in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, and it looks set to go to the wire.

Pain for Gasly

A brilliant third on the grid left Pierre Gasly well placed to follow up Alpine’s amazing two-three in Brazil with another good haul of points in Vegas. But having lost some ground in the early exchanges, a loss of power and tell-tale puff of smoke left the Frenchman trailing in for a frustrating retirement.

Battle for six tightens further

To increase Alpine’s agony, Nico Hülkenberg got the better of Yuki Tsunoda to claim eighth, which was enough to push Haas back above Alpine in the three-way fight for sixth in the constructors’ table. The American-owned team now has 50 points, Alpine is just one behind on 49, with RB three further back on 46. Millions are at stake for each position, and there’s plenty of pride to fight for, too. Qatar and Abu Dhabi promise much, even if Verstappen can now relax and enjoy the final races of 2024 without pressure.

Images courtesy of Motorsport Images.