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In Las Vegas, everything is ready for the second edition of the Formula 1 Grand Prix – excluding those held in the '80s – the first of three consecutive races that will bring down the curtain on the 2024 season. Max Verstappen returned to victory in Brazil after ten races, further consolidating his chances of winning a fourth world title. The Dutch driver only needs to finish ahead of Lando Norris to secure the title. When asked about the celebratory T-shirts, Helmut Marko responds:
"The T-shirts? If I know Verstappen's manager (Raymond Vermeulen, ed.) well, he's definitely got some in his bag".
Winning the world championship would be a great way to approach a Grand Prix in Las Vegas, a race that the Austrian manager isn't particularly fond of:
"Last year's luck was that the race was fantastic, but the overall event didn’t meet high expectations. Also, the Grand Prix doesn't enjoy much local support. Since almost everything is fenced off, you have to take long detours everywhere. Moreover, we need to arrive a day earlier due to poor flight connections. I’d be happy to endure Las Vegas if we win the title. Actually, things don’t seem to be going too badly for us: our car was fast even in the dry in Brazil, although Max was on another level in the rain. If we win the title this year, it will be mainly thanks to him. With his exceptional driving skills, he’s made up for all the times the car wasn’t performing well".
Regardless of the match point in Max Verstappen's favor, the current world champion's 62-point lead (with only three races and a Sprint Race left) makes Lando Norris’ hopes of a comeback almost impossible. Speaking at a press conference in Las Vegas, Lando Norris himself acknowledges that Max Verstappen's victory in Interlagos crushed his remaining championship hopes:
"It was a decisive moment for the championship. The door is almost closed now. I was pretty down for a week after Brazil because I realized things are now out of my control. It's a tough realization when you have such high hopes and beliefs. Seeing them crash suddenly was demoralizing and not a good feeling. But you learn to accept that life is like that".
Honestly, Lando Norris admits that he wasn't ready throughout the year to compete on equal terms with such an experienced and successful driver as Max Verstappen:
"Probably, I wasn’t ready to take on Red Bull and Max. Now I think I am, but it's too late. I’ve done my best: it wasn’t enough, and I’ve always admitted that, and I think Max is probably one of the best drivers in Formula 1 history. For me, challenging such a strong driver required more than I could probably give this season. But I think what I’ve done since the summer break is close to what I’ll need to do to fight for next year".
In the 2023 edition of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc was one of the main protagonists. The Monegasque driver finished in second place after being in contention for victory for a long time and making a spectacular last-lap pass on Sergio Perez. This year, his goal is to replicate - or perhaps even improve - that result, in order to further boost Ferrari's chase of McLaren in the Constructors' Championship standings.
"I’m confident we can be competitive this weekend, although there are many factors that could challenge us. On paper, this circuit might seem simple, but it's not. Since the race takes place at night in a desert location, temperature variations are wide, and tire management will be crucial. On our part, we have a car that is gentle on the tires, but the downside is that it’s usually difficult to get them up to temperature for a qualifying lap. We've worked on this aspect and believe we’ve made progress".
Charles Leclerc, now mathematically excluded from the Drivers' Championship title fight, has other objectives: trying to overtake Lando Norris in the standings and, above all, contributing to what could be Ferrari's first Constructors' World Championship title since 2008.
"After the recent results, there’s a lot of energy, even though we’re reaching the end of the season. This mindset helps us stay focused on our goal, which is to get the best possible results, race by race. We can do well here, and we’ll give our best. There are three races left in the season, including a Sprint (in Qatar), so there are still many points on offer, and we won’t stop fighting".
Formula 1 returns to Las Vegas a year after the big comeback of the gambling capital of the world to the calendar, a city that had been absent from the Circus since 1982. The 2023 race was not particularly unlucky for Carlos Sainz Jr., who suffered damage to his car after hitting a raised manhole cover from another car just moments earlier:
"I'm sure that, being in the second year, certain situations won’t happen again, and we'll be able to focus on the work we need to do".
This race also comes just two weeks after the São Paulo Grand Prix, where Sainz was forced to retire early after crashing into the barriers due to losing control of his car in Turn 8 on a wet track:
"The last race in Brazil was undoubtedly disappointing for me, but we’ve turned the page and are focusing on the challenge ahead".
The Las Vegas Grand Prix, therefore, represents not only the perfect opportunity to bounce back from a negative weekend like Brazil, but also the first of three night races that will close the 2024 World Championship season and Carlos Sainz Jr.’s time with Ferrari before his move to Williams, which is already scheduled for the post-season tests in Abu Dhabi:
"My mindset doesn’t change, though. I’ll be a Ferrari driver until the last corner of the last race of the season. Actually, if I think about it, I can't imagine a better gift for the team than winning the Constructors’ World Championship. I’ll do everything I can alongside Charles to bring home this goal. Of course, we’re not the favorites, but we’re in good form, and we have the right mindset to face this challenge".
With these words, Lewis Hamilton concluded a disastrous São Paulo Grand Prix, where he finished in 10th place:
"If this is the last time, it’s a shame it wasn’t much, but I’m still very grateful".
The English driver’s comment sparked much speculation, with some suggesting an early split with the Mercedes team. This speculation was quickly denied by the team, but speaking with journalists in Las Vegas, Hamilton himself admitted that the thought of not showing up for the final three races of his long and successful career with Mercedes had crossed his mind:
"At the time, I felt like that, as if I didn’t want to return after that weekend".
This remark reflects how much, despite a season that saw him return to victory in Formula 1 after nearly three years without a win, Hamilton has struggled with the lack of competitiveness of his car since the summer break:
"I think it’s natural. It’s frustrating when you have a season like this. I’m pretty sure I won’t have another one like it, or at least I’ll work hard not to. It wasn’t a good feeling at the time. But I’m here, I feel strong, and I’ll give my best in these last races".
With just three races remaining in the World Championship, there seem to be no positive developments in the relationship between Formula 1 drivers and the President of the FIA, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, especially following the removal of Niels Wittich from the role of Race Director. This episode caught the paddock and drivers by surprise, with the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA) having previously reached out to the FIA President at the beginning of November to address a series of issues. Among the most prominent was the issue of inappropriate language, with the GPDA asking Ben Sulayem to treat the drivers as adults. George Russell also highlights other aspects that are highly unpopular with the GPDA, such as the aforementioned dismissal of Wittich, with the Drivers' and Constructors' World Championships still to be decided:
"We were absolutely unaware of this. It was a surprise, I think, for everyone. The pressure on the new race director (Rui Marques) is very high. There are only three races left this season. Often, as drivers, we feel like the last ones to know this type of information, and when we are directly involved, it would be nice to be informed and to understand what decisions are being made".
George Russell stresses that the drivers united in the GPDA are asking for transparency, believing that sometimes hiring and firing people isn’t the solution.
"We’ll see what this new era brings. But every time there is a change, you have to take a step back before taking two steps forward".
In conclusion, the British driver expresses the GPDA's level of trust in the FIA leadership:
"It’s not the most stable of places, but I think if we feel listened to, and if some of the changes we’re experiencing and requesting are implemented, then maybe our trust will grow. However, I think many drivers probably feel a bit fed up with the whole situation. It seems that things are going, in a sense, in the wrong direction. We all know what we want from this sport and the direction it’s taken, and we probably feel we want to make a small U-turn on a series of issues and work together with the FIA on this. That’s exactly what we feel hasn’t happened at all, at least not directly from the President".
Asked about the topic, Max Verstappen does not hold back his thoughts on the controversial removal of Niels Wittich, the now-former FIA Race Director, whose departure was initially presented as voluntary resignation, just three races from the end of the World Championship:
"I read the news, and it didn’t change my day. Sure, it’s a bit strange that it happens in the last three races. It doesn’t matter if you agree or disagree with certain things. In Brazil, for example, I thought there was room for improvement. It’s still a bit strange dealing with a different race director: if you were normally going to change a race director, maybe you’d do it after the season and give them some time to settle into the role. There would also be the pre-season tests to help them get into the role better. But let’s see how it goes: they’ve decided, and we have to accept it".
The Las Vegas Grand Prix represents the first match point for Max Verstappen to secure his fourth world title. If the Dutch driver manages to avoid losing more than two points to Lando Norris in the Nevada night race, he will be mathematically guaranteed to close the championship in his favor. However, Verstappen is not overly focused on the combinations that could make him the World Champion for the fourth time, as he is aware that the race performances in Interlagos were also affected by the heavy rain.
"For now, I’m just thinking about this weekend. Obviously, there are three races left in the season, we’re getting close to the end and we’re in a good position in the standings, but there are still points to be earned. We just need to focus on that. Once we’ve done that, we’ll be even closer to the goal, which is, of course, to win the World Championship".
In Interlagos, before the race threw all weekend’s balance into disarray, Lando Norris won the Sprint Race after Oscar Piastri made way in the final laps, allowing his teammate to grab an extra point, giving him a boost in his title chase. This was the first real favor done in 2024 by the Australian driver, following the controversial episodes at the Hungarian and Italian Grand Prix, when McLaren had not instructed Piastri to help his teammate. However, what happened in the Brazilian race, with Lando Norris' collapse and Max Verstappen’s victory, has once again shifted the dynamic within the McLaren garage. Oscar Piastri explains this shift to journalists in Las Vegas:
"Have we returned to equal footing? More or less, yes. There are still some specific scenarios where I might be asked to help, but for the vast majority of situations, everything has returned to how it was before".
It is easy to imagine that the only situation where Oscar Piastri would be asked to give up points to Lando Norris would be if Max Verstappen were to retire during the race:
"The situation in the Drivers' Championship is very difficult, while the Constructors' World Championship is definitely not over for us. So, that’s certainly the most important thing. There are a few very specific scenarios where I might still help, if I’m asked to, but I’ll approach the weekend trying to win".
When asked if things will be different in terms of internal team management compared to the São Paulo Grand Prix, Oscar Piastri states:
"Yes, definitely. I know I did the right thing during the Sprint in Brazil, and that’s good for me. I’m glad I no longer have to deal with these kinds of things, and obviously, next year, I want to make sure I’m not in this position in terms of the championship. But in the end, I only had to help out in that one occasion in Brazil, and that was it. So, there was a lot of talk off the track, but on track, not much happened".
The Las Vegas Grand Prix, as expected, begins with a regulatory controversy. The race that could mathematically award the Drivers' World Championship to Max Verstappen and possibly shape the battle between McLaren and Ferrari in the Constructors' World Championship will be affected by a new directive imposed by the FIA on the teams, which immediately took effect: the Federation has banned the use of protective plates above the floor of the cars. But what exactly is the advantage that at least five teams out of ten seem to have adopted? The idea is to equip the skid-blocks, used by FIA inspectors for measurements, with special protections. This is particularly the case for the fastening bolts in the rear area of the main plate. The advantage, of course, is being able to push the car harder onto the track, aiming to run as low as possible without risking disqualification for excessive wear of the floor, as happened during the 2023 United States Grand Prix with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. The regulations specify a maximum wear of 1mm on the 10mm thickness of the plate covering the car's floor. Among the teams involved in the intervention are Ferrari, Mercedes, and Haas. All three teams reportedly used this system and will now need to adopt countermeasures. In contrast, Red Bull Racing and McLaren are unaffected, as they didn’t use this particular measure. We will see if and how the closing of this grey area will reshape team performances in the final stages of the championship.
On Thursday, November 21, 2024, FP1 saw a surprising performance from Mercedes, with Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finishing in the top two positions, both using Soft tires. Hamilton set his best time in the final stages of the session, while Russell took advantage of the tow from his teammates on track to be more competitive. The Anglo-German cars were also fast with Medium tires. Lando Norris completed the top three. McLaren conducted a split strategy, with Oscar Piastri working on finding the best setup for the Grand Prix. The sessions were characterized by a slippery track and cold temperatures. The trio of British drivers remained competitive throughout FP2. In this session, Lando Norris took second place, just 0.011 seconds behind Lewis Hamilton, while George Russell was further back. McLaren also showed the ability to heat their tires more quickly than their rivals, but they also faced significant graining issues. Behind the top three, the two Ferraris followed. The Maranello cars appeared more competitive in the race simulations rather than in single-lap qualifying performance. At the back of the field, the two Red Bull Racing cars, as well as the Williams, struggled. Additionally, Alexander Albon’s car had a fuel pickup problem, causing him to only take to the track in the final minutes of the session before abandoning the car due to a power unit failure, prompting a brief red flag interruption. While the São Paulo Grand Prix had ended with anger and frustration for Lewis Hamilton, the Las Vegas weekend started with positive feelings. The British driver set the fastest times in both FP1 and FP2.
"I feel pretty good, I think this is the first time I’ve had a day like this all year. The car was very good in FP1, a bit less so in FP2, so there’s some work to do overnight. But it’s hard to know exactly where we are or why we are where we are, but I had quite a bit of fun driving on this track, and we’ll see if the car works as well tomorrow".
The cold temperatures in Las Vegas seem to benefit the W15, but the concerns Mercedes has had all season regarding race pace re-emerged:
"The race pace wasn’t that great, so we’ll have to work overnight to figure out how to get a better rhythm without losing too much in terms of single-lap speed. Still, today was fun: it was nice to string together consecutive sectors without the car snapping around".
Both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell had their doubts, as admitted by Russell after the session:
"It was an incredible day, also pretty confusing for us because we can’t quite figure out why it was so positive. Lewis did a great job and was on it from the first lap today, and the car just worked. It’s a street circuit, very dirty, and it gets faster lap by lap, so being fast today doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll repeat the same performance tomorrow, but today was a nice surprise".
Lando Norris had a mixed second session of Free Practice in Las Vegas. The McLaren driver set the second-fastest time, but his race simulation appeared to be very inconsistent:
"I think we were quite good with low fuel, but with a lot of fuel, it was shocking. There are a lot of things to look into to figure out why we suffer with this kind of combination. We had a lot of graining, and things didn’t go well, I struggled quite a lot. We’ve got a lot of time to work on it, so I’d say it was a half-and-half session: good in qualifying simulation, poor in race simulation".
The first two Free Practice sessions of the Las Vegas Grand Prix were not encouraging for Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen, who could potentially secure his fifth world title this weekend. More than the fifth-fastest time in FP1, the Dutch driver could only manage P17 in FP2, with Sergio Perez in second-to-last position. However, unlike all the other drivers (except for Alexander Albon), the two Red Bull Racing drivers set their best times at the end of the day on Medium tires, having faced more difficulties with Soft tires.
The two drivers did not conduct a qualifying simulation and focused mainly on race pace. Max Verstappen also pointed out areas the team needs to address ahead of qualifying:
"The track was very slippery, and we struggled to get the tires working, especially on the fast lap. In the race simulation, we were more competitive at first, but we still need to fix a few things. The single-lap pace, though, is pretty far off. The conditions here are very specific: it’s very cold, but the conditions are the same for everyone, so we need to figure out what we’re getting wrong right now. For me, it’s largely related to the tires, the balance isn’t wrong, but we just don’t have any grip. It feels like driving on ice".
The Las Vegas circuit was supposed to be a track favorable to Ferrari’s cars, but the results in practice didn’t look promising. In terms of single-lap performance, Mercedes emerged as the fastest, while in race pace, all four top teams - Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes, and Red Bull Racing - showed issues with consistency. Charles Leclerc, who finished fifth at the end of FP2, explained the struggles of the Maranello cars in the cold Nevada weather:
"It hasn’t been a memorable day for us, but it seems like it’s been complicated for the other teams as well. We’re not as strong as we expected to be before we hit the track. With these very cold conditions, it’s still hard for us to get the tires into the ideal window, which we knew would be a challenge this weekend, so we’ll work on that tonight. Let’s see what we can bring to tomorrow".
Charles Leclerc had set the fourth-fastest time in FP1, while Carlos Sainz Jr. ended up sixth after a difficult first session for him and for all the drivers tackling Las Vegas for the first time in a year, on a street circuit that was supposed to favor Ferrari but quickly caused grip issues. Despite the difficulties, the Spanish driver still completed both the qualifying and race simulations, repeating the program in FP2. In the second session, aside from improving his lap times, Carlos Sainz Jr. finished in fourth. Overall, it was a challenging day for the team and the future Williams driver, as he confirmed at the end of the session, although there was a slight positive note regarding the race pace:
"Today in Las Vegas has been a complicated Thursday, mainly because of the track conditions, which offered very little grip and gave strange sensations in the car. For the second session, we tried something different, but we’re still not happy with our position and need to keep working on it. Hopefully, tonight’s analysis will help us pinpoint the main areas of improvement so we can come to qualifying tomorrow in better shape. The race pace wasn’t bad, but there’s still a lot of work to do".
Lando Norris remains determined to keep the World Championship fight alive and prevent Max Verstappen from sealing the title in Las Vegas. While the British driver has consistently been in the top three in both FP1 and FP2, in the latter session he didn’t allow Mercedes to complete a second double of the day. Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri finished eighth in both sessions. He also worked on qualifying and race simulations (the latter not particularly appreciated by his teammate), but the Australian driver acknowledged the superior performance of Mercedes and Ferrari. Nevertheless, he remained positive and optimistic about his chances to battle for top positions in qualifying:
"We have room to improve. When the red flag came out, I was on a much better lap than what I’d done before, but there’s still something to adjust. I believe we have the pace, but we need to adapt better to the track. I think I can fight for the top positions in qualifying. Mercedes looked very fast today, Ferrari also seemed pretty strong, but we’re definitely in the mix. I think Mercedes had a very positive day, and we’ll see what happens tomorrow".
Probably aided by the cold temperatures that help the W15, Mercedes drivers were consistently at the top of the timesheets in both practice sessions. However, there is still a long way to go before they can truly challenge for victory. Both British drivers admit in post-session interviews that they didn’t fully understand why their car suddenly became so fast. Toto Wolff also shares this uncertainty, joking about what happened in Las Vegas while recalling other particularly positive Fridays.
"I think we’re champions when the track is dirty. FP1s are often great for us, but then when the grip comes into play, we see performance drop. That said, I think the gap in the first practice session was quite large, probably the biggest we’ve seen so far… So who knows, maybe we’ll have to sprinkle some dust on the asphalt for all the other sessions".
Wolff jokes. He then gets more serious and lowers the team’s expectations:
"I don’t believe this kind of advantage over the other teams will last. But I really hope we won’t fall behind like we did on other circuits in the past, and that we’ll remain competitive to fight with the front runners".
On the first day of action in Las Vegas, Wolff explains that while Mercedes has identified the weaknesses of their car and already made some adjustments, it’s not easy to get back to the top:
"Before the summer, we already knew and it was clear which direction we needed to take. We are updating the car, but at one point it seemed like we were heading in the wrong direction. It’s really hard to get out of that, and we’re not the only team experiencing this. On the other hand, you can’t just go back to a Silverstone update, put it on the car, and expect to be ahead, because since then, everyone else has improved by a few tenths. So, yes, the more you drive, the more mistakes you make, and the more you learn. But the competition doesn’t sleep".
The words spoken by Lewis Hamilton on the radio at the end of the - to say the least - disappointing São Paulo Grand Prix weekend were bound to spark discussion. Initially, there were rumors of a possible early split between the British driver and Mercedes (an idea quickly denied by the team). On Thursday, however, it was Hamilton himself who explained what he meant after the race. Later, Toto Wolff put an end to the matter.
"As we’ve all known for many years, Lewis always speaks from the heart. I think the entire race weekend was a really negative experience for him. But both he and we, as a team, were really good and kept working together. Obviously, there are still three races left, and he announced earlier in the year that he’s going to Ferrari. I’m pretty proud of how we’ve managed to keep things professional as they are. We knew it wouldn’t be easy, but the car didn’t perform well that day, and we didn’t give him the tools he deserves".
Wolff then admitted to having spoken with Hamilton after that radio message:
"Lewis and I talk, we always have. One rule we established very early in our relationship is that we address things immediately and ask:Why did you say that? Or: What did you mean? That’s what we did in this case. That was just one line from a book with 99 other lines. During the weekend in Brazil, I made it very clear that Lewis is the greatest driver of all time, and if we can give him a fast car, he’ll be able to win and fight for the championship. But we failed in that attempt".
The first day of action at the Las Vegas Grand Prix was full of excitement, with lots of cars on track, a few off-track excursions with spectacular spins to return to the circuit, minimal interruptions, and plenty of action. It wasn’t short of fun for those watching the Formula 1 cars zip by in the night, in the sparkling setting of the gambling capital of the world. Some drivers joked after FP2, mentioning a persistent smell of marijuana along the track. The first to bring it up was Sergio Perez, who, after getting out of his Red Bull RB20 (in a rather mediocre day, finishing at the back of the pack), smiled as he described the euphoric atmosphere (literally) in the air on the circuit:
"I didn’t do many laps, my FP1 was a real disaster because the track was very dirty. And then, what we can smell all along the Las Vegas track is the continuous smell of marijuana all night. I’m already a little tired; it’s incredible how much there is. It’s something I’m sure the drivers will talk about throughout the weekend".
Franco Colapinto also commented on the issue after the Las Vegas night session:
"Yeah, there was a lot of the smell of joints. I think if we all took a doping test right now, all the drivers would test positive. I swear. If we all tested positive, it would be a real mess".
Recreational cannabis use has been legal in Nevada, where Las Vegas is located, since 2017. But it's the words planks and skid that have become part of the survival vocabulary for the expert F1 fan in the lead-up to the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The FIA intervened to prevent excessive use of the metal skid plates to protect the floor from potential wear, which could lead to disqualifying the cars. As a result, several Team Principals, including Toto Wolff and Frédéric Vasseur, admitted they would need to modify their cars’ floors and comply with the new regulations. The issue was inevitably addressed during the usual FIA press conference, with team principals in attendance. All present - Oliver Oakes from Alpine, Frédéric Vasseur from Ferrari, and Toto Wolff from Mercedes - confessed that small modifications would need to be made in the future. First to speak was Oliver Oakes, before passing the floor to his colleagues:
"We had to make a small change, but honestly, I don’t know the full extent of the issue".
Frédéric Vasseur added:
"Yes, we also had to review the way we manage the floor. We had confirmation from the FIA that the solution was legal. But now, we’ve had to make modifications. I think it was the right choice not to oppose it, because we want to stay focused on the championship fight and not waste energy on these types of discussions. However, the approach from the Federation has been a bit strange".
The timing of the FIA's intervention, just before the final triple-header of the season, has raised some concerns. It came not only during an ongoing World Championship but with little time left for teams to adjust. It’s believed that Red Bull Racing might have been the team that requested this intervention. Christian Horner explained:
"The technical directive on the floor’s skid plates. I think it could make a very small difference, to be honest. It all depends on how low the cars are running in certain conditions. I don’t think it will change much".
On Friday, November 22, 2024, during the third Free Practice session, George Russell confirmed his speed by setting the fastest time. His performance was slightly better than Thursday’s times, as the track was not fully rubbered in after being reopened to public traffic between sessions. Following him were Oscar Piastri, Carlos Sainz Jr., and Max Verstappen. The session was not fully representative for qualifying, as it was interrupted with under six minutes remaining to recover Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin, which stopped on track due to a technical issue. After the restart, drivers only practiced starts. A few hours later, in Q1, after initial times by lower-tier teams, Oscar Piastri took the lead with a 1'34"058 lap, followed by McLaren teammate Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton in third. Behind the former World Champion was George Russell, ahead of Max Verstappen. Charles Leclerc then topped the times with a 1'33"966, only for Piastri to reclaim first, while Norris moved into second. Carlos Sainz Jr. climbed to second using Leclerc’s slipstream, while Verstappen improved to fourth. George Russell later reclaimed first, followed by Leclerc. With four minutes left, both Haas drivers lacked valid times, but Aston Martin managed to send Lance Stroll out after resolving earlier issues. Pierre Gasly, Kevin Magnussen, and Esteban Ocon entered the top ten. Max Verstappen eventually set the fastest time with a 1'33"299, while Sergio Pérez was 12th. Lewis Hamilton briefly took the top spot, but George Russell surpassed him. Eliminated were Pérez, Fernando Alonso, Alex Albon, Valtteri Bottas, and Lance Stroll. In Q2, George Russell set a reference time of 1'33"585, soon beaten by Nico Hülkenberg’s 1'33"273. Lewis Hamilton then set a 1'33"136. Lando Norris climbed to second, only to be overtaken by Max Verstappen, who needed two flying laps to warm his tires. Oscar Piastri followed, just 0.001 seconds behind Verstappen. Kevin Magnussen moved into sixth, just behind his teammate, with Yuki Tsunoda splitting the Haas drivers.
Max Verstappen then improved to 1'33"085, but George Russell went faster with a 1'32"881. Lewis Hamilton improved as well but remained 0.084 seconds behind George Russell. Ferrari placed fifth (Sainz Jr.) and third (Leclerc), with Piastri in fourth. The Mercedes duo continued to dominate, alternating in first. Hülkenberg climbed to seventh, ahead of Magnussen in ninth. Sainz Jr. slotted between the Mercedes cars before the session was stopped due to Franco Colapinto’s crash before the final corner. Though his car was destroyed, Colapinto was unharmed. Not advancing were Esteban Ocon, Magnussen, Guanyu Zhou, Colapinto, and Liam Lawson. In Q3, Max Verstappen was first on track, again taking two laps to warm his tires. Oscar Piastri set a 1'33"520, soon beaten by Lando Norris with a 1'33"237. Charles Leclerc was third, over 0.2 seconds behind Piastri. Carlos Sainz Jr. then bettered Norris with a 1'33"022. Pierre Gasly took fourth, and Nico Hülkenberg fifth, while Verstappen was 0.2 seconds off Sainz. George Russell claimed provisional pole with a 1'32"811, while Lewis Hamilton made a mistake on his flying lap. In the final minutes, drivers aimed for two fast laps. McLaren and Ferrari drivers improved but couldn’t surpass Russell. Hamilton’s errors continued. Piastri climbed to third, Norris to second, within 0.2 seconds of Russell. Leclerc temporarily took pole with a 1'32"783, but Sainz went faster with a 1'32"410, as Gasly moved into second. Verstappen was fourth before Russell ultimately secured pole with a 1'32"312 lap. The Mercedes team has been unbeatable in all the Free Practice and Qualifying sessions in Las Vegas, and the confirmation came once again in Q3, with yet another pole position of the season for George Russell, following his pole at the British Grand Prix. The strategy to go out last, taking advantage of the gradually improving track conditions, paid off for the British driver, who set the fastest time, ahead of Carlos Sainz Jr. by just 0.098 seconds.
"We didn’t think we had this pace, it’s incredible that we’re back on pole and have been this fast all weekend. I knew that the Q3 lap would be the important one and that it didn’t matter what I had done before. I had a little scare on my first attempt, we had to change the front wing, and then I thought I wouldn’t make it to the line in time to avoid the flag, but I’m really happy, and the fact that we’ve been so fast this weekend was a real surprise. I had confidence in myself and knew that if I did a clean lap, it would be enough for the front row, and getting pole is incredible. I’ve been doing well in qualifying recently, but now we need to convert it into a win. Racing in Las Vegas is fantastic, there’s a great atmosphere late at night, and now I’m excited for the race".
George Russell in pole position, Lewis Hamilton in tenth place. Mercedes' Q3 session in Las Vegas ended with two very different results, but the anomaly is represented by the seven-time World Champion, after all weekend the Anglo-German cars were the fastest in qualifying. Lewis Hamilton, however, made a few mistakes, wasting both his fast laps in the decisive phase. After qualifying, the future Ferrari driver admits his responsibility, acknowledging that he squandered a real chance to get into the front row.
"I could have been on pole, and I’m not. But it is what it is, and we’ll try to make up for it tomorrow. We’ll keep fighting. Our race pace wasn’t great, so starting from so far back will be a tough challenge. So far it’s been a good weekend. Tomorrow I’ll do my best. I’m pretty far behind, but I’ll see what I can do from there. Tire degradation will be key".
Toto Wolff had jokingly said after the first day of Free Practices, held on an asphalt so slippery it almost seemed wet:
"We are champions when the track is dirty".
It was a joke, but it also hid the hope of Mercedes' Team Principal for the rest of the Las Vegas weekend. And it materialized in qualifying, with the surprise (but not too surprising) pole position claimed by George Russell. As seen in other moments this season, the unpredictable W15 often comes alive when grip conditions are poor, and especially when the thermometer shows winter-like temperatures - or close to it. Certainly, Mercedes led the way in the first three Free Practice sessions, confirming once again to be the fastest car in qualifying. It hadn’t happened since the 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix, literally an era ago, as the technical regulations have changed, and the Anglo-German cars stopped dominating the scene after eight consecutive Constructors’ Championships.
"It seems like we need winter, races like Silverstone and Spa with rain and cold, or to go to Las Vegas and race at midnight. Our car just comes alive when there’s little grip on the track, and when temperatures are low. And it’s nice to see it like this this weekend. Of course, everything is relative. The feedback we get from our drivers is that the car feels good to drive, while we hear from the radios of other teams that everyone is complaining because there’s no grip. In general, we will need to make sure we have a car that works on all types of tracks next year. Race pace? I didn’t really look, but I think Leclerc was the fastest in the long runs of FP2. For sure, it will be crucial not to have graining on the tires, and then build from there. I think any of the top teams can win the race".
A final remark on Lewis Hamilton’s double mistake in the final stages of qualifying:
"Yes, it seems that’s the case (that he made a mistake, ed.). But he was still the fastest in Q2, and the car was good, so we’ll need to analyze what happened".
Carlos Sainz Jr. can smile with satisfaction. The Spanish driver secured a front-row spot that was far from guaranteed given the strong competition among the top teams, missing out on pole position by just 0.098 seconds. Starting from P2, however, Sainz Jr. can dream, especially considering the strong race pace Ferrari showed during Free Practice.
"It was a very tough and competitive qualifying, and it was also hard to get the tires to the right temperature. We were closer than we expected, to be honest, I thought I had taken pole, but then George came through very quickly at the end. I’m very happy because I’ve secured a good position for tomorrow. I was second last year too, but then I was pushed to the back of the grid for the infamous kerb, so now I’m starting from second and I hope I can do better. We need to keep the faith because tomorrow we can fight for the top positions, so if we were this close in qualifying, we’ll have a chance to win tomorrow. That’s the goal".
And he adds:
"Tomorrow the strategy will be different. I think Mercedes was better at warming up the tires, in the first sector they were flying and gaining three-tenths on us, while we recovered over the course of the lap. Tomorrow we’ll start from zero, and we’ll see how the car behaves with a full tank. As for McLaren, we need to win, we can’t just stay ahead of them because they have a big advantage in the Constructors’ Championship. Then we’ll go to Qatar, which isn’t a good track for us and where we’ll struggle, so winning here is essential, and I won’t change my approach too much".
Charles Leclerc, however, is the face of disappointment after qualifying for the Las Vegas Grand Prix. His fourth-place starting position is not a disaster by any means, but it’s undeniable that his performance in Q3, with a 0.35-second gap to his teammate, doesn’t offer much to smile about. In reality, the prospects for the race are still promising, especially considering that the difficulty in warming up the tires on a fast lap could turn into an advantage for managing race pace. Not by chance, the Monegasque driver points to the complicated warm-up of the Pirellis as the main reason for his performance:
"I could never get the tires to work properly. It’s a shame because when we do more laps in a row, we’re really strong and I felt comfortable with the car. But in qualifying, it was a disaster getting the tires to temperature. Carlos could do it, I’ve never been able to do it since FP1, and that’s disappointing. I tried to work on it but never found the right way. In Free Practice, the times were good, but only after three or four laps, while Carlos was fast from the start, and in qualifying, that paid off. I hope tomorrow I’ll be more in the rhythm for the race. We need to stay ahead of the McLarens, as we did in Brazil and in the recent weekends. In any case, today didn’t go smoothly for anyone, because in these conditions we saw Hamilton super strong in FP3 but not in qualifying, for one reason or another. There are really tricky details to understand… I’m speaking for myself, but sometimes you need to slow down by 10 km/h to get some gap, you arrive at turn 1 and don’t have the front end, and that’s what happened to me in Q3. Strange things happen. But we’re still second and fourth, ahead of the McLarens, so it’s not a terrible day. We just need to make it count tomorrow".
Considering the strength of Mercedes and the trend of Ferrari this season, second and fourth place are good results for the Maranello team. Immediately after qualifying, Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur highlights the good performance (especially from Sainz Jr.) but stresses that they can't settle for a position: after all, to have a real chance to win the Constructors’ Championship, the team must win.
"I’m not signing for this result in the race tomorrow. We need to push for more. A double podium is a bit optimistic, but we’re in a good position. We know that this season we tend to be stronger in the race than in qualifying. We struggled all weekend to put energy into the tires and make a good lap, but it probably went better at the end of Q3, at least with Carlos. Now, we need to complete the job tomorrow. However, the race pace was good yesterday, which is encouraging. If we look at what happened in the last two races, here on long distance it’s quite difficult, so tire management will play a key role. Overtaking is possible if you have the speed. We have good top speed, we’ll need to keep the tires in good condition, and we’ll be in a good position. Am I surprised by Carlos ahead of Charles? No, because a lot was determined by tire management in qualifying. It was crucial to get the tires to the right temperature during the preparation lap. With the eight minutes of Q3, we couldn’t manage both preparation and push laps in the two stints. We had to do one push lap, then a preparation lap, and then another push lap. It wasn’t easy to find the right setup for tire preparation. Carlos did a great job, it was a bit harder for Charles, but we’re not in Monaco, the race will be long and overtaking will be possible, so we’ll focus on tomorrow".
Pierre Gasly and Alpine are really enjoying themselves: first, the double podium in Interlagos, with Esteban Ocon finishing second and him third. Now, an incredible third-place finish for the French driver in qualifying for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, beating Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen, and Lando Norris. All of this with a car that was second-to-last in the Constructors' Championship standings. Pierre Gasly put on a show, especially in his final Q3 attempt, confirming a special form that has even taken him beyond his best expectations.
"We started in Bahrain at the back of the grid with both cars, and suddenly, in the last few weeks, everything has changed. I’m really happy with the work the team has done in a season where everything seemed impossible. In today’s qualifying, I have to admit we never thought we’d be able to make it into the top three, but I managed to do a very special lap at the right time in the last run of Q3, and it was a nice surprise".
Continuing his analysis, the French driver explains how the team took a gamble with the setup and suggests that the low temperatures may have played in Alpine’s favor:
"We opted for a rather aggressive downforce package, trying to maximize straight-line speed, but of course, that makes life harder for us in the corners. The track is challenging, and the conditions are very cold. It’s an anomaly of the season".
Looking ahead to the race, Pierre Gasly says he is mainly focused on gaining points over their direct rivals in the Constructors’ Championship:
"Podium? I’m not thinking about that right now. We know what our objective is. We’re fighting with Haas and Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship. Obviously, anything that happened in qualifying is extraordinary. It feels great to be ahead of Max, McLaren, and everyone else. But that’s not our battle. Tomorrow we’ll do our best. The track here is tough because of the graining. So, we’ll make sure to work well tonight to maximize our chances for tomorrow. But for sure, from P3, we’ll increase our chances of getting some good points".
The third row of the Las Vegas Grand Prix will see Max Verstappen and Lando Norris side by side. Once again, this is the ideal scenario for the reigning World Champion, who only needs to keep his rival behind to secure his fourth consecutive title. The Dutch driver, despite realizing he has maximized his result, is not satisfied with the fifth place on the grid. Perhaps because he is already thinking about the 2025 season, which is expected to be tough, Max Verstappen is aiming for a better result. In the immediate aftermath of qualifying, the Dutch driver does not seem to have high hopes for the race, especially since the race pace didn’t seem irresistible, and Red Bull Racing, due to budget restrictions, does not have the suitable rear wing for the Nevada circuit. However, the São Paulo Grand Prix taught us once again not to count Max Verstappen out.
"On the long runs, both Lando and I degraded the tires early, maybe earlier than others. Only time will tell tomorrow how we perform. Certainly, our car was very difficult to drive, I’d say the problem lies with the tires: it was really hard to get the tires working on a single lap or in a sector, and that makes it hard to get the maximum. I tried my best, but we lacked grip and top speed because of the rear wing. I knew this before qualifying started, and I tried to maximize the result. Lando is behind me, but we want to do better than fifth. Both our long runs didn’t go well, for different reasons. I’m not sure they’ll be great tomorrow, but maybe I’ll surprise myself. We don’t have the specific rear wing that is used in Monza and Las Vegas. This is something we decided from the beginning for budget reasons. Maybe it’s something we need to reconsider, because it doesn’t seem very efficient to race this way. However, it’s also true that there’s only one more year with these regulations, so maybe it doesn’t make sense to change it now".
So he adds:
"In the last two qualifying sessions, we’ve left a few tenths of a second on the table. But aside from that, we’ve tried to do our best as a team. I really think we’ve worked well together. We’ve tried many different things to understand which direction is the right one. I think we’ve found it, but clearly, it wasn’t enough to fight for pole".
Qualifying for the São Paulo Grand Prix had ended with a disappointing result for Red Bull Racing, both for Sergio Perez’s performance and Max Verstappen’s unusual exit from the top ten. However, Verstappen went on to win the race in spectacular comeback fashion in wet conditions. In Las Vegas, even with a weekend that could hand him his fourth consecutive World Championship title, the outcome was unsatisfactory for both the Milton Keynes team and their driver. Despite starting ahead of his direct rival, Lando Norris, the World Championship leader only managed fifth place. Even after the night’s Free Practice sessions, Max Verstappen had highlighted difficulties mainly with tire management, again lamenting a lack of grip after the checkered flag in qualifying, showing no satisfaction with his fifth-place finish. This problem is confirmed by Team Principal Christian Horner, in a session that also saw Sergio Perez fail to get beyond Q1, meaning he’ll start from P16:
"Difficult qualifying. The low temperatures and the track are a challenge for our tires. Our performance improved with each session, and we’re starting to understand where we lost time, but the tire window is still pretty small. Max managed to set a good time, and I know he was hoping for a higher grid position, but on this track, overtaking is certainly possible. The behavior of the tires between qualifying and the race are completely different challenges, and anyone in the top four rows can win this race. It will be exciting to see how it plays out tomorrow".
Lando Norris has only mathematics to cling to now: too many mistakes, point by point, have ensured the reigning World Champion arrived in Las Vegas with a 62-point lead to manage in the final three races. Even verbally, the English driver no longer focuses on the title battle with Max Verstappen, instead hoping to finish ahead of him in the race:
"Whether he wins tomorrow or not, it won’t change anything for me. It’s very likely he will win the title, but I’m here to race and always do my best. Today he’s ahead of us, but I feel like we have a chance to beat him tomorrow. I’m proud to be the one fighting Max, and not someone else. Of course, I would have liked the title fight to continue, but we lost it in the first six races. That was when Max dominated, when Red Bull was too far ahead and the points were too many to catch up".
Lando Norris seems to forget that he had the best car starting from the Miami Grand Prix when the gap was 52 points. It wasn’t as dominant as Max Verstappen’s early-season form, but the winner still gets 25 points per race, no matter the gap to second place. The British driver’s goal is to beat Scuderia Ferrari in the Constructors’ Championship, as McLaren currently has a 36-point advantage:
"Hope to beat them is what you could say at this point. As for the race, I hope the hard tires will be better. This year, in every Grand Prix, we’ve had graining issues, especially with the Softs. We remain optimistic, looking forward to seeing what we can do. I don’t expect anything magical, but the race is long".
Qualifying for the Las Vegas Grand Prix was overall disappointing for McLaren, the leader of the Constructors’ Championship standings and tasked with defending their top position from Scuderia Ferrari.
However, both Ferrari cars will start ahead of the McLaren MCL38s of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who will line up in sixth and eighth positions. To make matters worse for the British driver, he faces a disadvantage in the third row against his title rival Max Verstappen, who could mathematically secure his fourth consecutive World Championship in this race:
"This result doesn’t mean anything for now in our fight with Ferrari, it’s just qualifying. Both Ferraris will start ahead of us, and we’ll need to try and beat them, or at least limit the points they can gain on us. It’s clear that they’re much faster than us this weekend, so we’ll see. It will definitely be a big challenge for us tomorrow".
A direct challenge that doesn’t seem to favor McLaren, as even his teammate Oscar Piastri admitted. The Australian driver, however, focuses on the issue of graining and the use of the Hard tire for the race, a tire that no one has tried throughout the Las Vegas weekend:
"I think graining will be a big concern for everyone, definitely not an advantage for us. It will be a difficult factor for everyone, and most of the race will probably be on the hard tire, which no one has used, so we’ll see how it goes tomorrow. With graining, it will be tough for everyone, I just hope it’s not tougher for us than for others".
On Saturday, November 23, 2024, before the race starts, the sixth gearbox, the sixth transmission, and the survival cell are installed on Franco Colapinto’s car following his qualifying accident. As a result, the Argentine driver, who qualified in P14, is forced to start from the pit lane. Fernando Alonso is the only driver to start with Soft tires, while Valtteri Bottas, Sergio Pérez, and Franco Colapinto start on Hard tires, and the others are on Medium tires. At the start of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, George Russell maintains the lead, while Charles Leclerc takes advantage of Carlos Sainz Jr.’s defense against Pierre Gasly and moves up to second place. Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, Yuki Tsunoda, and Oscar Piastri follow. On lap 4, Max Verstappen overtakes Pierre Gasly. In the early laps, Charles Leclerc tries to pass George Russell to take the lead but is unsuccessful. This has a negative effect on his tire life: the Monegasque driver is forced to give up positions to both Carlos Sainz Jr. and Max Verstappen before heading to the pits on lap 10. Lando Norris also pits on the same lap. Meanwhile, the race direction issues a 5-second penalty to Oscar Piastri for an incorrect starting grid position. On lap 11, Max Verstappen catches up with and overtakes Carlos Sainz Jr., who immediately heads to the pits. The World Champion waits another lap before making his own pit stop. By the 13th lap, George Russell also comes into the pits for a tire change, allowing Lewis Hamilton to move into the lead.
The English driver pits the following lap. The order now sees George Russell back in front, followed by Sergio Pérez, Max Verstappen, the two Ferraris of Carlos Sainz Jr. and Charles Leclerc, and Lando Norris. On lap 16, Lewis Hamilton passes Lando Norris. Meanwhile, Sergio Pérez loses several positions before also heading to the pits on lap 18. During this time, Pierre Gasly is forced to retire due to a technical issue. After 25 laps, George Russell has a 10-second lead over Max Verstappen and a 12.5-second lead over Carlos Sainz Jr., who is ahead of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. However, soon after, Sainz's tires wear out, forcing him to let Charles Leclerc pass. In the following laps, Carlos Sainz Jr. is called to the pits. He enters the pit lane but is soon instructed to stay out as the tires are not ready. Lewis Hamilton, who is following closely, pits instead, just before Max Verstappen does the same. The Spanish Ferrari driver manages to pit on the next lap. Another lap later, it’s Lando Norris’ turn to pit. Max Verstappen is now in third place, behind Charles Leclerc, who makes his pit stop on lap 32, along with George Russell. On the same lap, Lewis Hamilton overtakes Max Verstappen, moving up to second place. In the final laps, Lewis Hamilton closes the gap to George Russell, while the two Ferrari drivers gain ground on Max Verstappen, who needs to finish ahead of Lando Norris to win the World Championship.
On lap 41, Carlos Sainz Jr. overtakes the Dutch driver, and five laps later, Charles Leclerc does the same. The main outcome of the Las Vegas Grand Prix is undeniably tied to Max Verstappen's victory in the Formula 1 World Championship. Despite finishing in fifth place, he earned enough points to definitively beat Lando Norris (who finished sixth), securing his fourth consecutive world title with two races left in the season.
"It’s been a very challenging season, and I’m certainly proud of the performances I’ve had throughout the year. The car was fast at the start, but then I don’t think it was the strongest, as seen in the constructors' standings, and for that reason, I’m proud to have won the championship. It’s been a very demanding year, and even in difficult moments, we made the most of every performance, whether it was a fourth, fifth, or second place, with barely any mistakes".
These words express a justified pride, considering that from the sixth race onward (Miami), he didn’t have the best car.
"It’s been a long season. We started off great and controlled the races easily, but then there was a tough period. As a team, we stayed united, and in the end, we achieved the goal. We have to be proud of all the work they’ve done for me. Being here as a four-time world champion is something I never thought could happen; I was just happy to be here and to dream of possible wins or podiums, which are things that are already very difficult to achieve. Then, after a few years, we started this run, and with the new regulations, we hit the ground running. Being here with a fourth title is incredible; I feel relieved and proud. It’s definitely been a very challenging season, even on a personal level. At certain moments, I had to stay calm. I prefer a season like 2023, but it’s also true that 2024 taught me a lot, and I’m proud of how I managed everything with the team. It’s been fantastic to see the support from the fans everywhere. Last year, they were a bit spoiled by the many wins, but now they’ve had to wait a long time, yet they’ve always supported me. I’ve been through a lot with the team, and it’s special to reach these results with this group of people. If we look at the current situation, there will probably be a battle with several teams, and I’ll definitely still have hunger for more. I’m enjoying this moment because there are still two races where I want to do well".
It’s Max Verstappen’s day. The Dutch driver enjoys it both in reality and in words, even taking a little extra satisfaction. After the race, he meets McLaren CEO Zak Brown in the Las Vegas paddock and can’t resist saying:
"As you said before (in past years, Ed.), I could only win with the best car. This season has been a bit different".
So he adds:
"They can keep criticizing me, but there's nothing I can do about it. I won without having the best car, and if I'm not given credit for that now, I don't know what else I can do".
At 3:00 a.m. in Las Vegas, after beers and gin and tonics, Max Verstappen opens up after a World Championship that seemed already won after the first five races, but one that saw him wait for ten races before returning to victory. An wait that was finally broken in Brazil, in the rain, coming from P17.
"Would I have won in 2024 with McLaren? Yes, and much earlier. In 2021 with Mercedes, I would have won. In 2022, it would have been harder with Ferrari because it was too fragile".
When asked if any colleague could have won with the RB20 in 2024, Max Verstappen says:
"I would have wished them good luck. We had a pretty tough period after a great start. I'm proud of how we managed to get through it as a team. As a person, it's important to stay calm and not shout around that everything is terrible. A few years ago, I wouldn't have been as good at this. Over the years, you learn this too, and having titles already in the trophy cabinet helps put things in perspective. I never got desperate".
Even Lando Norris, this time, speaks publicly about his rival’s merits, complimenting him.
"The first thing I have to do is congratulate Max, because he deserved to win. He’s had a better season than mine and deserves it more than anyone else. Max simply has no weaknesses. When he has the best car, he dominates, but even when he doesn’t have the best car, he’s always there. He’s driven fantastically, and congratulations to him for what he’s managed to achieve. Was the title battle tougher than expected? No, because honestly, I never even expected to be fighting for the title this far into the season".
On the day Max Verstappen wins his fourth World Championship title, Red Bull Racing may have written what is likely the final chapter in Sergio Perez's Formula 1 career. The Mexican driver has a contract until the end of 2025, but his position remains uncertain, and his results this year seem far from enough to retain one of the most important seats on the grid. Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s motorsport advisor, is the one to publicly suggest Perez's potential departure. After the race, the Austrian manager highlights the massive performance gap between the two Red Bull drivers. After 22 Grands Prix, Max Verstappen has scored 403 points, while Sergio Perez has only 152. A gap of 251 points, which - despite all the issues the RB20 has faced in the second half of the season - remains objectively embarrassing.
"We need to have two drivers scoring points. I believe Max has over 200 more points than Checo. Right now, the important thing for us was to close the World Championship and win the title with Max, but this is still a defeat for us. The bonus for teams depends on our position in the constructors' championship, and realistically, there’s no chance of winning it now".
The final U.S. race of the season also brings great emotions for Mercedes, who secure the maximum result with a double podium featuring George Russell’s second win of the season and Lewis Hamilton’s second-place comeback, capping off a perfect weekend.
"We’ll have a nice celebration tonight. I was planning to fly in a couple of hours, but I definitely won’t be on that flight. I’m going to enjoy this evening with my entire team. It’s been a dream weekend. I don’t know how we were so fast, but right now, I’m on top of the world. Las Vegas is truly a crazy place. When you drive and see all this in the background, it’s something indescribable. We couldn’t have chosen a better place to win with the pole position, after dominating the whole weekend and achieving the double podium with Lewis. I expected something to happen because in other races where I started from pole, there was chaos—rain or dry, something always happened. In Brazil, we had the red flag, but here, I felt confident. I had a good lead, but I expected something to happen, and instead, nothing did. Maybe luck finally turned my way, and I’m happy about that".
It was a highly positive race for Lewis Hamilton, both for the final result and the comeback achieved by the British driver, who started from the fifth row of the grid:
"First, I want to congratulate Max on winning the championship. If I had done my job yesterday, today would probably have been different, but I still had fun. I started from the back, and the team did a fantastic job. I’m really happy for the team. It was an exceptional performance from everyone this weekend to achieve the 1-2 finish. The car felt very strong, and the race was really fun and enjoyable. It was great to keep moving forward, given the long way I had to come back! It’s a bit bittersweet because if we had qualified as we should have yesterday, I think I could have won. However, before the race, I didn’t think I could finish second today, so I’m very pleased. Congratulations to George for a great drive to take the win. Congrats also to Max for clinching the title today. He’s done an amazing job all year and is a deserving champion".
A surprising result, as were the unlikely chances of securing a win, which Hamilton has not achieved since the Belgian Grand Prix:
"I didn’t think I could win this race. When I was trying to catch up, I was pushing, but all my stops were too early. Clearly, George stopped much later than me and had fresher tires, so it was impossible".
At the beginning of the weekend, he joked about how strong the Mercedes cars were, especially on a dirty and dusty track. However, after securing pole position, he tempered expectations, preparing himself for a battle on a knife's edge against the two Ferraris of Carlos Sainz Jr. and Charles Leclerc. In short, between some pre-race mind games and a bit of good old superstition, it seemed that even Toto Wolff didn’t expect such a dominant performance from the two W15s in Las Vegas. And it’s no coincidence that he used the word dominance, because while George Russell was able to lead the race unchallenged - or nearly so, given the early fight with Charles Leclerc - the true supremacy of the Anglo-German cars was more than demonstrated by Lewis Hamilton’s furious comeback from 10th to 2nd place.
"It’s been a while since we’ve had a 1-2, so this is a fantastic result for the team. The colder conditions on a low-grip circuit like this clearly worked in our favor. That said, everyone did a great job executing the weekend perfectly. We’ve been quick since the start of FP1 on Thursday and continued that pace on Friday and Saturday. We managed to get the car into the sweet spot in exceptional fashion, and it’s been very satisfying. George managed the race excellently, keeping Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari at bay in the early stages and then taking control of the Grand Prix from there. Lewis also drove fantastically, making the leap from 10th to 2nd place. He showed just how fast he is, bringing home a great result for the team. Finally, I also congratulate Max Verstappen on winning the title. He’s a deserving champion, and we hope to fight with him next year".
Max Verstappen is the World Champion for the fourth consecutive time. This is the verdict of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, where his fifth-place finish officially crowns him as the sixth-most successful driver in Formula 1 history. The title arrives mathematically with two Grands Prix to go, defeating the resistance of his friend and rival Lando Norris. The two contenders had several clashes throughout the year, especially in the second half of the season, when Norris’ McLaren became frequently the car to beat. There was the incident in Austria, the tensions that erupted between the two, especially in Mexico. However, today, there is only a warm embrace and mutual congratulations, perhaps putting the controversies behind them. Lando Norris, for his part, joins Max Verstappen in the interview area and embraces his friend-rival, congratulating him on the World Championship win. Max Verstappen, in turn, shares kind words for the McLaren driver and reveals part of their conversation.
"It’s really nice that he came back to the interview area to congratulate me, and I think that’s how it should be. We’ve had quite a few episodes together this year, and of course, we’ve already discussed these things. I told him that one day his time will come, he just needs to be patient".
From Oscar Piastri’s false start to Lando Norris mathematically losing the title fight against Max Verstappen, along with a reduced 24-point lead over Ferrari in the Constructors' Championship, the Las Vegas Grand Prix was far from a positive one for McLaren. With Lando Norris finishing in 6th and his teammate in 7th, the two drivers now have the primary goal of defending their Woking-based team in the Constructors' Championship in the final two races of the World Championship in Qatar and Abu Dhabi. A victory in either of those races would end a long wait and, at the same time, would console the team from their defeat in the Drivers' Championship. However, for Team Principal Andrea Stella, there are many reasons to be proud of the progress made over the course of the season:
"First of all, I would like to personally, and on behalf of our team, congratulate Max Verstappen. Four-time World Champion, one of the greatest in the history of this sport. He fully deserves this title, having been incredibly consistent, even when his car wasn't the best. Max and Red Bull Racing, as the team supporting him, have done an excellent job. Congratulations to them. From our side, we can be proud of having given Max something to think about and of having taken the title fight so deep into the season. I think we lost too many points early in the year when we weren’t competitive enough. Once we improved the car, I believe we showed we have the qualities as a team, and that Lando and Oscar have the qualities, to compete for both titles".
Regarding the United States Grand Prix, Andrea Stella reiterates that the result of the Las Vegas Grand Prix cannot be considered positive for the team. However, McLaren will have the chance to bounce back next week in Qatar, on a track that should, on paper, be more favorable to the characteristics of the MCL38, as they aim for the most coveted prize:
"Tonight, we can't be satisfied with the result because we race to finish on the podium and to win. We had some issues with the car's performance and tires, and we’ll do a lot of analysis between now and Lusail. Considering the weekend we’ve had, I think we managed to limit the damage tonight. Qatar and Abu Dhabi should be more suitable tracks for the MCL38, but there are always four teams competing for victory. This is fantastic for Formula 1, but it means we need to give our best if we want to win the Constructors' Championship. Not long ago, the idea of being in the title fight would have been incredible, unthinkable, but now it’s realistic, and we need to finish the job".
The Las Vegas Grand Prix, complicated by tire management issues and early pit stops beginning as early as lap 10, saw Carlos Sainz Jr. take the podium, finishing ahead of his teammate Charles Leclerc. This result allowed Scuderia Ferrari to close the points gap to McLaren in the Constructors' Championship with just two races remaining in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
"I expected to be quite fast on the Medium tires, but they actually lasted only 8-9 laps for me. After that, I tried to minimize the damage, but I wasn’t comfortable and wasn’t strong. I would have liked to be faster so I could fight for the win with George, but today we didn’t have the potential. We’re bringing home a podium that isn’t enough for what we expected, but it’s the maximum we could have achieved today. I was hoping Las Vegas would bring me some luck after what happened last year with the manhole cover. I’ll take the podium, but at the same time, I was looking at every manhole cover to avoid them. I think this race provided a good spectacle, and I can’t wait to come back in the future. Charles and I have been fighting for years, we find ourselves wheel to wheel not every weekend, but at least every two or three races. We’re both very competitive, very close on pace, and we’re always fighting against each other. I don’t think I could have done better than third or fourth today, but it is what it is. We’ll keep pushing to maintain good momentum for the next races".
During the race, the Spanish driver let Charles Leclerc pass before his second stop, but later didn’t follow team orders, which instructed him not to overtake the Monegasque driver out of the pit lane. The future Williams driver, however, made his own decision and took the position, taking advantage of Leclerc’s difficulties with cold tires.
Charles Leclerc did not appreciate this and vented in a very blunt and public manner after the race, accusing his teammate of unsportsmanlike behavior. To the compliments of his track engineer Bryan Bozzi for the completed race, the Monegasque driver responded:
"Yes, whatever you want. As always. Yes, I did my job. But to be honest, it fuck me every time, fuck. Always, fuck. It’s not about being nice, it’s about being respectful. I know I have to shut up, but at some point, it’s always the same, so fuck it".
Bryan Bozzi, trying to console him, said:
"You did the right thing for the team. And pick up the tire temperature".
But Leclerc responded:
"Yeah, the fucking pick-up, whatever the fuck you want. And the radio’s on, I’m sorry".
This last detail suggests that Leclerc wasn’t fully aware that his radio was still open. Rarely, if ever, had Leclerc been so harsh and explicit about Sainz’s actions. According to him, the Spanish driver had shown a lack of respect when overtaking him after the second stop. While the Constructors' Championship position wouldn't change, in terms of the Drivers' Championship, Leclerc felt the three points he would have gained by overtaking Lando Norris were important.
"I won’t go into detail about Carlos' behavior; there are things we say to each other, and today things went a bit differently, but it’s fine. In the end, we got third and fourth, which doesn’t change anything for the team, but for the drivers, I’m a bit sorry. I’m fighting with Norris, but I know I have to rely on myself. I need to do better in qualifying and everything else perfectly to recover on him. From now on, I’ll focus on myself and try to maximize everything. The fact is, we lost a lot in the first stint, but in the second and third stints, I think we were probably the fastest. I really struggled with the Medium tires, but the problem was I didn’t get any warning before losing the front end".
The Las Vegas Grand Prix is likely to go down in history due to the fallout between Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr.. On lap 31, the Monegasque driver came into the pits for his final tire change and was informed over the radio that Carlos Sainz Jr. had been told not to pass him when exiting the pit lane. Ferrari had realized the two drivers would be very close to each other, as had been the case before the pit stops. The radio exchanges between Bryan Bozzi and Charles Leclerc were clear and explicit:
"Carlos was told not to pass, but he’s very close, he might be just ahead".
Leclerc actually managed to exit the pits ahead of Sainz, but the Spanish driver pulled alongside and overtook the Monegasque, who didn’t even attempt to defend the position due to the cold tires.
"He’s been told not to put you under pressure".
Bozzi repeated just moments before Sainz Jr. made the pass. A few corners later, Leclerc expressed his frustration:
"Maybe try telling him (in Spanish)".
It was supposed to be the last great opportunity to try to win and put pressure on McLaren’s lead. However, the verdicts of the third-last race of the 2024 season were very different, and in the end, Scuderia Ferrari reduced the gap, but will head to Qatar with a result that is not disastrous, though not the one Frédéric Vasseur had hoped for prior to the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend.
"It was a difficult race, especially in the first stint, we really struggled. In the end, we were losing around two seconds per lap, and that continued at the end of the second stint. Overall, though, in the final phase, our pace on the Hard tires was good, but the problem is we lost a lot of time early on. The result? We limited the damage, but we should have scored more points than anyone else, not just settled for limiting the damage. We got 12 more points than McLaren, maybe 17 or 15 more than Red Bull. It was probably the best we could do because Mercedes was flying from start to finish. We’ll see next week…".
The battle for the Constructors’ Championship is not over, as the Maranello team needs to recover 24 points in the final two races, keeping in mind that Qatar will also feature a Sprint Race format.
"Anything is possible. We need to recover another 12 points across both weekends. We’ll focus on the next track, which on paper won’t be the best for us. But we’ll see what we can do. We’ll need to maximize our result and focus on ourselves".
The real hot topic after the race, however, revolves around Charles Leclerc’s complaints, as he was angry with Carlos Sainz Jr. over the events during the Grand Prix:
"At one point in the first stint, both drivers wanted to pit. Initially, we wanted to extend our stint, and staying out was a bad decision that we paid for at the end of the race. We discussed with Carlos the possibility of staying out, but we missed the pit stop. It was a very difficult race for the drivers; they’re under pressure in those conditions, and it’s very frustrating to lose two seconds per lap because of graining. You have to understand them. Honestly, I haven’t spoken to Carlos, and I haven’t spoken to Charles either because the drivers had to go to the hotel on the other side of the track for the podium show. I couldn’t talk to them, but we’ll do the debrief and see. Let’s focus on next week".
While there is satisfaction in achieving his 26th career podium after a dramatic and eventful race, there is also some shadow over Carlos Sainz Jr.'s third place finish in the Las Vegas Grand Prix, due to Charles Leclerc's complaints. However, the Spanish driver dodges the topic when speaking with the media in the interview pen:
"I made an agreement with Charles not to speak to the media because when we do, we always end up making a mess. I won’t say anything about what happened between us on track because that’s something between me and him. I never open the radio, I don’t talk to the press about these things. I don’t like doing it, it’s not a nice thing, and it’s not necessary".
Carlos Sainz Jr. addresses the issue of the missed second pit stop, explaining what happened when he was told to stay out at the last minute after already having entered the pit lane:
"I don’t want to point fingers; it’s not the time to analyze these things. I had been asking for a pit stop for two laps because I knew Charles was catching up quickly and I wanted to let him pass and get out of the way. Hamilton was also behind him, so I asked to come in because I was struggling with graining and couldn’t do anything more. But the pit stop didn’t happen, and I stayed out for two more laps. Even when I wanted to pit, there was chaos with the entry to the pits. Things didn’t go well for me or for Charles. It wasn’t an easy situation to manage, but it went like that".
In Las Vegas, Scuderia Ferrari gives in, despite the SF-24 being the big favorite going into the race. According to Frédéric Vasseur, it was a matter of tires and temperatures rather than the technical directive issued a few days before the race, which clarified the allowed practices for protecting the plank from wear, forcing the Maranello team to make changes to the car's floor. During the usual post-race press conference, the Team Principal commented on the exchange of words between Carlos Sainz Jr. and Charles Leclerc, and then congratulated Max Verstappen, the fresh four-time World Champion.
"The technical directive came very late. We only received it last Friday, one week before qualifying. But that’s not an excuse for today; it’s a different issue. The problem this weekend was tire management, and it has nothing to do with this".
The biggest impact, however, concerns the cost cap:
"It has had a big impact on the budget because we had to redo all the skid blocks".
The Team Principal then analyzed the Las Vegas Grand Prix:
"We struggled a lot in the first stint, but we did better in the last one. This was true for us as well as for others. It shows that we’re not completely far from the goal, but it's a matter of fine-tuning. Also, the fact that no one had tested the hard tire, and the simulations for the medium tire were done after three fast laps with some graining, put everyone in a tough spot. That’s not an excuse though—Mercedes did a better job".
The strong graining suffered at the start of the race cannot simply be blamed on the car’s design:
"It’s a combination of factors: how much the driver pushes, the compound, the setup… If you look at the second and third stints, even without changing compounds, some teams performed differently. It’s not just about the car; it’s also about the fuel load or how you start the stint. At the beginning of the race, Leclerc tried to attack Russell and had much more graining compared to the later stints, when he was more conservative. When you're out there racing with the competitors, finding the right approach is difficult. Graining mostly depends on the pace you want to maintain. Charles was behind Russell, but at some point, he tried to push and attack him. The same happened with Hamilton towards the end, they were really on the limit. It’s not an easy task. It’s true that in the last 4-5 laps of the first stint, we lost something like 10 seconds. At the same time, though, you can’t stop, because you’d end up in the traffic of the midfield, having to overtake everyone. That’s what happened with Sainz. You have to wait for others before pitting".
The Team Principal then explained the misunderstanding with the Spanish driver, who was called in for a second stop only to receive a change of instructions:
"At that point, we were discussing the stop with Carlos and explaining that he would end up behind Tsunoda. He wanted to pit, we wanted to keep him out, and at the same time, we needed to swap positions. It was a bit of chaos".
When asked if a better result was within reach, Frédéric Vasseur responded:
"I don’t think so. Overall, I believe Mercedes was the fastest. Maybe, with a different approach to the weekend… But today, with the positions we had on the grid, I don’t think we could have done more".
The Team Principal also downplayed the controversy surrounding Carlos Sainz Jr.’s overtaking of Charles Leclerc, despite being instructed to maintain position:
"At the start of a stint, you need to manage a lot, while Sainz was already on his third or fourth lap on those tires. It was a difficult situation; we’ll have to talk about it. I’m not worried. The story is always the same; they shouldn’t make comments during the in-lap because they don’t have the full picture, but they do it anyway. We’ll talk about it, but it’s not a problem".
The Las Vegas result complicates Ferrari's mission, but Vasseur isn't giving up:
"I’d rather be 24 points behind than 200. The championship is open, and anything can happen. On paper, Qatar isn’t the best track for us, but we’ve had difficult weekends before where we managed to do a good job. We’ll try to do our best and put pressure on McLaren for the last race. This is very important because in the last Grand Prix, anything can happen. We’ll push until the last corner of the last lap of the last race. There have been weekends where we were the most competitive, and I’m not saying those were easy. Sometimes, when you're not at your best, you need to score more points than your rivals, and that’s what we did today. We probably didn’t have the best car, but we maximized the points - 12 more than McLaren. It wasn’t a bad weekend for us, even though we expected more. But Mercedes was competitive and better than us".
The Las Vegas Grand Prix also confirmed Max Verstappen’s reappointment as World Champion. Frédéric Vasseur promptly shared his thoughts:
"I think Verstappen has been fighting all the time this year. He had a great start to the season, securing pole positions and wins, but he also won from behind. There were difficult weekends, where Red Bull wasn’t the fastest, but he still managed to score important points and do a great job. From a performance point of view, I believe these are the toughest weekends. In our sport, the easiest situation is when you get pole position, victory, and the fastest lap, and when the car is competitive. For a driver, it’s much harder to fight in the midfield every single weekend. His performance has been incredible. I can’t remember a season with four teams capable of competing for the win and with three teams fighting for the championship with just two races to go. This doesn’t happen often, and next year will probably be even better. In the last two years, there has been a convergence of performance, and that’s a positive thing for Formula 1".