Max Verstappen clinched his fourth consecutive Formula One World Drivers’ Championship at the thrilling Las Vegas Grand Prix, where George Russell claimed victory for Mercedes. Verstappen entered the race with a straightforward task: finish ahead of his nearest title rival, Lando Norris, to seal the championship. Starting from fifth on the grid, Verstappen maintained his position and finished the race in fifth place, with Norris behind in sixth, officially making his championship lead insurmountable with only two races left in the season.
With this latest triumph, Verstappen joins the elite company of Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, Juan Manuel Fangio, Alain Prost, and Sebastian Vettel as one of only six drivers in F1 history to secure at least four World Championship titles. Reflecting on the achievement, Verstappen thanked his team over the radio, acknowledging that while the season presented more challenges than last year, their collective effort led to another championship win.
The 2023 season began with Verstappen dominating, winning seven out of the first ten races. However, Red Bull’s dominance began to wane, and the chasing pack, particularly McLaren, started to close the gap. Despite winning only one of the next 12 races, Verstappen managed to secure enough points to maintain his lead over Norris throughout the season.
Verstappen remarked on the journey, stating, “It’s been a long season, and of course, we started off amazing, it was almost like cruising, but then we had a tough run. But as a team, we kept it together, we kept working on improvements, and we pulled off the win. I think this season definitely taught me a lot of lessons. I’m incredibly proud of how we handled it.”
While Verstappen celebrated his title, Norris expressed disappointment but also praised his rival. “Congrats to Max, I’m disappointed I’m out of it, but Max deserved to win it. He drove a better season than I did, he deserved it more than anyone else,” said Norris.
Mercedes’ George Russell delivered a dominant performance in the Las Vegas GP, securing his third career victory and second of the season. Starting from pole position, Russell controlled the race, aside from a brief tussle with Charles Leclerc, and crossed the line in first place. His teammate, Lewis Hamilton, recovered from a challenging qualifying session to finish second, securing a one-two finish for Mercedes. Hamilton’s podium finish marked his 202nd career podium, further cementing his legacy in F1.
“I don’t know how we’ve been so quick but I’m just riding this wave right now,” Russell said after the race. “It’s been a dream of a weekend. To get the victory here, pole position, a dominant weekend, and a one-two with Lewis…we couldn’t have chosen a better place to make this happen.”
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz completed the podium in third, with teammate Charles Leclerc just behind in fourth. The two Ferrari drivers exchanged places throughout the race, engaging in a thrilling battle with Verstappen.
In the Constructors’ Championship, Ferrari closed the gap to McLaren to just 24 points, while Red Bull trails by 53, leaving plenty to play for in the final two races of the season in Qatar and the UAE.