F1 news LIVE: Las Vegas GP reaction as champion Max Verstappen speaks about Red Bull future
F1 news after the Vegas GP as Verstappen claimed his fourth straight world championship
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Your support makes all the difference.Max Verstappen was crowned F1 World Champion for the fourth time as the Dutchman finished above title rival Lando Norris at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
The Red Bull driver won his fourth straight title with two races to spare, as Norris can no longer catch Verstappen in the standings after he could only finish sixth.
Verstappen, meanwhile, finished fifth behind the Mercedes pair of George Russell, who won from pole, and Lewis Hamilton. Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc finished third and second for Ferrari.
The 27-year-old has eight race wins this season, including a dominant run at the start of the year, but Norris closed the gap over the second half of the campaign. However, Verstappen delivered a crucial win in Brazil last week and produced another stellar drive in Las Vegas to retain the world title.
Lewis Hamilton rues Las Vegas qualifying errors: ‘I should have been on pole’
Lewis Hamilton admitted he threw away pole position for the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix as team-mate George Russell stormed to top spot.
Hamilton will start only 10th in Sin City on Saturday night after he made mistakes on each of his flying laps. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz qualified second, with Pierre Gasly a surprise third for Alpine.
British driver Lando Norris must outscore Max Verstappen by three points to extend the title battle to the penultimate race in Qatar, but the McLaren driver will start one place behind the Dutchman in sixth.
Full quotes below:
Lewis Hamilton rues Las Vegas qualifying errors: ‘I should have been on pole’
Hamilton will start only 10th in Sin City on Saturday night after he made mistakes on each of his flying laps
F1 Las Vegas GP LIVE: Pierre Gasly after qualifying P3
“It’s unbelievable, we didn’t think we could do that. An incredible lap, especially around this track. A lot of adrenaline and excitement. Really happy.
“I was getting cold in the car, I just wanted to get going. That last lap was the one that mattered. It felt great, great period for the team after the double podium in Brazil.”
How can Max Verstappen win the 2024 title?
There are now just 86 points available across the next three races in Vegas, Qatar (including the final sprint race of the season) and Abu Dhabi.
By the end of the weekend in Vegas, there will be just 60 points left to claim.
That means that if Verstappen simply finishes above Norris in Vegas, he will be crowned the 2024 champion. The Dutchman would also seal the title if both drivers fail to score a point.
Verstappen will also win the 2024 title if Norris does not outscore the Red Bull driver by more than two points.
As a result, Verstappen will be world champion in Sin City if:
- If Norris is second and he finishes third with the fastest lap
- If Norris is third and he finishes fourth with the fastest lap
- If Norris is fourth without the fastest lap and he finishes fifth
- If Norris is fifth without the fastest lap and he finishes sixth
- If Norris is sixth without the fastest lap and he finishes seventh
- If Norris is seventh without the fastest lap and he finishes eighth
- If Norris is eighth without the fastest lap and he finishes ninth
- If Norris is ninth without the fastest lap or lower irrespective of where he finishes
F1 Las Vegas GP LIVE: Reconnaissance laps!
Max Verstappen - who could win the title tonight - is the first car out for the reconnaissance laps in temperatures slightly warmer of around 19C in Sin City.
A reminder: Verstappen starts fifth, with Lando Norris in sixth. If the Dutchman finishes ahead of Norris, he will be crowned the champion.
F1 Las Vegas GP LIVE: Franco Colapinto WILL race in Vegas
Williams statement: “Following Franco’s incident in Qualifying yesterday, he has undergone a thorough follow-up evaluation from the event medical team today and has been cleared to race in this evening’s Las Vegas Grand Prix.
“Franco’s health is our main priority, and we are relieved that he is well enough to race following such a significant incident. We thank the medical staff for prioritising Franco’s health and wellbeing and for the excellent care he received.
“We are extremely thankful to our incredible garage team for their hard work overnight to repair Franco’s car and our fans and partners for their continued support. We have taken the opportunity to make some set-up changes during the repair and, as a result, Franco will start the race from the pitlane.
“We are looking forward to going racing under the lights tonight.”
F1 Las Vegas GP LIVE: What is the starting grid for the race?
1. George Russell
2. Carlos Sainz
3. Pierre Gasly
4. Charles Leclerc
5. Max Verstappen
6. Lando Norris
7. Yuki Tsunoda
8. Oscar Piastri
9. Nico Hulkenberg
10. Lewis Hamilton
11. Esteban Ocon
12. Kevin Magnussen
13. Zhou Guanyu
14. Liam Lawson
15. Sergio Perez
16. Fernando Alonso
17. Alex Albon
18. Lance Stroll
19. Valtteri Bottas*
Pit lane. Franco Colapinto**
*Bottas has a five-place grid penalty for taking a new engine
**Colapinto will start from the pit lane after his crash in qualifying
F1 Las Vegas GP LIVE: Race winner odds!
Las Vegas GP winner
- George Russell - 9/4
- Carlos Sainz - 5/2
- Charles Leclerc - 13/5
- Max Verstappen - 6/1
- Lando Norris - 8/1
- Oscar Piastri - 22/1
- Lewis Hamilton - 22/1
- Pierre Gasly - 125/1
- Yuki Tsunoda - 275/1
How can Max Verstappen win the 2024 title?
There are now just 86 points available across the next three races in Vegas, Qatar (including the final sprint race of the season) and Abu Dhabi.
By the end of the weekend in Vegas, there will be just 60 points left to claim.
That means that if Verstappen simply finishes above Norris in Vegas, he will be crowned the 2024 champion. The Dutchman would also seal the title if both drivers fail to score a point.
Verstappen will also win the 2024 title if Norris does not outscore the Red Bull driver by more than two points.
As a result, Verstappen will be world champion in Sin City if:
- If Norris is second and he finishes third with the fastest lap
- If Norris is third and he finishes fourth with the fastest lap
- If Norris is fourth without the fastest lap and he finishes fifth
- If Norris is fifth without the fastest lap and he finishes sixth
- If Norris is sixth without the fastest lap and he finishes seventh
- If Norris is seventh without the fastest lap and he finishes eighth
- If Norris is eighth without the fastest lap and he finishes ninth
- If Norris is ninth without the fastest lap or lower irrespective of where he he finishes
Jenson Button on Perez/Tsunoda at Red Bull:
“Sergio has been a long way off for a long time now. I don’t know anyone who has had so many opportunities in this sport at a big team.
“I’d love to see Yuki get in the car. He’s so chilled and confident.”
PREVIEW: Las Vegas GP returns – with key ingredient present after topsy-turvy F1 debut
As fans trudged away from their expensive acquired seats on night one of the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix, having seen just eight minutes of cars on track before “manhole gate”, one question sprung to mind: how could the sport come back for this?
Yet beyond all the fanfare which inevitably accompanied Formula One’s lavish return to Sin City last year, what actually saved the inaugural event was the Saturday night race itself. We had overtakes – 82 in fact, the most of any circuit during its debut grand prix – we had safety cars and we had last-lap drama. For a sport which veers too blatantly in the direction of spectacle at times, it was a refreshing nod to the drama the action on track can deliver.
Full preview below:
Las Vegas GP returns for second edition – with key ingredient present after F1 debut
F1’s newest race gives fans and broadcasters opportunities to go bigger and bolder in Sin City, as Kieran Jackson discovers, ahead of a weekend where Max Verstappen can claim his fourth world title
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