George Russell Lights Up Sin City; Verstappen Coasts to Championship Glory

Max Verstappen clinched his fourth straight Formula One World Drivers’ Championship Sunday with the kind of measured, clinical drive that’s become his calling card. Fifth place was all the Dutch dynamo needed under the bright lights of the Las Vegas Strip, while George Russell strutted his stuff for a commanding win. Behind Russell, Lewis Hamilton secured a Mercedes 1-2, and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz rounded out the podium.

Verstappen’s job was simple: finish ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris, the last man mathematically in the hunt. And after fending off a spirited Norris challenge at Turn 1, Max settled into his groove, climbing as high as second before playing it cool in the closing stages.

“What a season. Four times. Thank you, guys,” Verstappen said over the radio, his voice almost monotone, as if he’d just been handed his coffee order, not a fourth championship. “It was a bit tougher than last year, but we got it done.”

The real fireworks were up front. Russell launched perfectly from pole and immediately began controlling the race like he owned the Vegas Strip. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, hit the gas like a jackpot winner, leaping from fourth to second as chaos unfolded behind him.

Verstappen, starting fifth, wasn’t in the mood for casino antics. At Turn 14 on Lap 4, he muscled past Pierre Gasly like he was cutting in line for a buffet, and then quickly dispatched a fading Leclerc four laps later. Norris, bless him, tried to keep pace but was left looking like a broken slot machine stuck on “LOSE.”

By Lap 12, pit stops shuffled the deck, with Verstappen rejoining in sixth but, crucially, ahead of Norris and both Ferraris. As the rest of the grid cycled through their stops, Max found himself back in third.

At this point, Russell was doing his best Frank Sinatra impression—calm, collected, and utterly in control—while Verstappen started doing math. He knew he didn’t need to fight anyone, so when Hamilton stormed past like a man chasing a jackpot, Max just waved him through. Sainz and Leclerc followed suit later, leaving the Red Bull star to saunter home in fifth, title in hand.

Up front, Russell’s dominance was never seriously in doubt. Even as Hamilton turned up the heat late in the race, Russell had it covered, crossing the line with seven seconds to spare.

As for Verstappen? The champagne was already on ice by the time he cruised over the line, 24 seconds ahead of Norris, who nabbed the fastest lap point as a consolation prize.

“It’s been a long season,” Verstappen reflected. “We started off amazing—it was almost too easy—but then we hit some bumps. The team stayed strong, kept improving, and here we are. Four titles. It’s insane.”

Leaving Las Vegas Max is the king once again, Russell got his third career win, and Hamilton showed he’s still got the fire. Vegas, baby. What a show.

FORMULA 1 HEINEKEN SILVER LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX 2024 – RACE RESULT

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Greg Engle

Greg is a published award winning sportswriter who spent 23 years combined active and active reserve military service, much of that in and around the Special Operations community.

Greg has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.

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