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Mercedes driver George Russell won the second edition of Formula One’s Las Vegas Grand Prix on Saturday night, but it was Red Bull superstar Max Verstappen who clinched his fourth consecutive drivers championship with a fifth-place race finish.
The title continues Verstappen’s dominance over the rest of the F1 grid despite a Red Bull dip that has the team third in the constructors’ standings with two races remaining. McLaren has a 24-point lead over Ferrari (race wins are worth 25 points), as Lando Norris (McLaren) and Charles Leclerc battle for second and third place, and Oscar Piastri (McLaren) and Carlos Sainz vie for fourth and fifth.
Verstappen, who is estimated to have an F1-leading $55 million salary, won seven grand prix early this season before going on a 10-race winless streak that included only four podium finishes. He snapped that skid with a win in Brazil earlier this month.
Red Bull will face an uphill battle in 2025 as renowned car designer Adrian Newey is joining Aston Martin in a multi-year deal reportedly worth $200 million.
What Happens In Vegas
There was plenty of other fanfare beyond the racing in Sin City over the weekend.
Several drivers complained of strong smells of marijuana throughout the track. “If they dope the drivers now, I think we’ll all test positive,” Williams F1 driver Franco Colapinto said. Red Bull’s Sergio Perez said it was something drivers would discuss afterward.
Meanwhile, Brad Pitt was at the track filming for next year’s movie, F1, that he stars in. The actor was seen fainting in an apparent scene for the film.
With Year 2 of F1’s entry into Las Vegas now in the books, the sport will continue evaluating its growing presence in the U.S.
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