Verstappen Strikes Back in Vegas Title Fight
Red Bull's Max Verstappen has kept his Formula One championship hopes burning brightly with a dominant victory at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The four-time world champion delivered a flawless performance to secure his sixth win of the season, preventing McLaren's Lando Norris from claiming three consecutive victories from pole position.
The Dutch driver started second on the grid but executed a perfect overtaking manoeuvre on polesitter Norris within seconds of the race beginning. Verstappen then controlled the 50-lap event with authority, eventually crossing the finish line with a massive 20.741-second advantage over his British rival.
Australian Hopes Take Another Hit
For Australia's Oscar Piastri, the Las Vegas weekend proved challenging yet again. The McLaren driver finished fourth after a chaotic start that saw him make contact with New Zealand's Liam Lawson and tumble down to seventh position early in the race.
Piastri's result extends his podium drought to six races, a frustrating stretch for the Melburnian who led the championship by 34 points following the Dutch Grand Prix in August. The missed opportunity in Vegas sees Norris extend his championship lead over Piastri to 30 points with only two rounds remaining.
Norris acknowledged his costly mistake at the start, telling Sky Sports: "I just braked too late - it was my F-up. When the guy wins by 20 seconds, it's because he has just done a better job."
Championship Picture Tightens
The victory brings Verstappen to within 42 points of championship leader Norris as the series heads to its final two rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi. While acknowledging the significant gap, Verstappen remained optimistic about his chances.
"It's still a big gap, but we always just try to maximise everything that we've got and this weekend, that was first," the Red Bull star commented after the race.
Mercedes driver George Russell completed the podium in third place after mounting fierce challenges against Norris throughout the race. His rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli initially crossed the line fourth but received a five-second penalty for a false start, dropping him to fifth and elevating Piastri to fourth position.
The race saw several dramatic incidents, including a race-ending collision between Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto and Aston Martin's Lance Stroll on the opening lap. Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton delivered an impressive recovery drive from 19th on the grid to finish tenth after a disastrous qualifying performance.
With only two races remaining in the 2024 Formula One season, the championship battle between Norris, Piastri and Verstappen promises an thrilling conclusion to what has been one of the most competitive seasons in recent memory.
