Verstappen Wins Vegas | Norris Championship Push

The World Cup leader Lando Norris he won his seventh pole position of the season under extremely difficult conditions in Las Vegas, thanks to which he could wait for the red lights to go out before the 22nd race of the year, and he had every chance to increase his 24-point lead even further. Although the British pilot was aware that he had much more to lose than the one who started next to him Max Verstappennek – who wanted to keep his championship hopes alive from a 49-point deficit – already stated before the competition that his goal is to win, so he will not be careful.

In the second row, the surprise man of the time trial, Carlos Sainz Jr., and triumphant on the spot a year ago George Russell shared while Oscar Piastri he planned to fight his way to the podium from fifth place.

He completes yet another disappointing qualification for Ferrari competitors Charles Leclerc the ninth, while Lewis Hamilton it could have been expected from the nineteenth place 50 rounds the start of the race after advancing one place Cunoda Juki due to his engine change and pit lane start.

You love to rubber tactics however, Andrea KImi Antonelli, who occupied the seventeenth starting grid, was the only one in the field to choose the soft compound, Pierre Gasly, Nico Hülkenberg, Franco Colapinto, Alexander Albon, Gabriel Bortoleto and Hamilton chose the hard, while the others started on the medium tires.

Although Norris he did well at the start, protected the inside curve too aggressively and drifted out at turn 1, which he took advantage of Verstappen he immediately passed him and took the lead, and not long after Russell also pushed McLaren behind him, so the World Cup leader quickly found himself in third place.

As the fourth Sainz turned away, then Isack Hadjar rounded out the top five while Liam Lawson in vain he preceded it Piastrit, the two cars collided and the front wing of the Racing Bulls was significantly damaged, as a result of which he constantly lost positions and had to come to the pits to change the element.

The New Zealander was not the only one involved in an accident, further back Bortoleto he got into Stroll and the pair took him with them Pierre Gaslyt too. While this was the end of the race for the Brazilian and the Canadian, the French fell to the back of the field with only Lawson behind him. As a result of the incidents, a lot of debris was thrown onto the track, as a result of which virtual security section were put into effect.

Antonelli in the meantime, an investigation was launched against him because, according to the suspicion, he moved before the start, while Alexander Albon it was endangered due to a possible violation of the starting procedure. The Italian received a 5-second time penalty, while the Thai received a warning.

Verstappen in the first laps, he couldn’t really tear Russel away from him, the Mercedes could open his rear wing several times, but he couldn’t find a grip on the Red Bull, who later managed to pull away little by little and increase his advantage to almost a second, while the British had a problem with the steering wheel. Norris meanwhile, at first he followed the events in front of him from a decent distance, then withdrew Russellre, but Mercedes didn’t wait for the McLarens to launch an offensive and was the first to call their driver to change tires from the front row.

Further back Leclerc dictated a great pace and hunted him down first Piastrit, then Hadjart, and he arrived before he changed the wheel Sainzra, who was ordered to box by Williams. At one point, the Ferrari was second, because Norris also visited the boxing ring earlier than him. The Monaco is 25th, while the leading one Verstappen changed tires on lap 26, the latter returned to the lead and although his advantage was reduced to only 1.5 seconds Russellhez in comparison, he had a rubber advantage, and he soon tore his opponent away from him.

Norris after the first tire changes, he was able to start catching up to the Mercedes driver with a 3-second deficit. A nice catch-up, but it is Albonnal coming together, then Hulkenberg Hamilton, who was stuck behind, changed on the 30th lap, to which Sauber responded. The German managed to stay in front of the Briton, who had a little trouble with Fernando Alonso, but did not lose any position.

He’s up against the seven-time champion Albon in the meantime, he received a 5-second penalty and was forced to abandon the race on the 37th lap after his radio did not work either. He was the third eliminated in the race.

At that point, only the one collecting the time penalty is in the lead Antonelli was the one who had been skinning the tires since the beginning of the race, although the Italian changed at the beginning of the race, so it was questionable how long he would last and whether he would have to stop again. Norris in the meantime, he has fully matured Russellre, and in the 34th lap he overtook his compatriot, then tried to catch up from a 5-second gap Verstappent, but the Dutchman responded and confidently kept his distance in front of his rival, before pulling away in the lead at the end.

Plates also wanted to move forward, the Australian closed in on Antonelli, – about whom it became certain that he did not plan to change tires again – but the Italian pilot defended himself well, while the somewhat wobbly Australian caught him in the neck Leclerc-t also, and the ferraris seemed to pose a greater threat to mclaren than the mclarenes to mercedes. Although the trio remained close to each other throughout, there was no change of places on the field.

Verstappen nobody threatened his victory, the Dutch more than 20 seconds he crossed the finish line with an advantage, losing a lot of time in the last laps Norris in front, while on the lower step of the podium Russell could stand up. Finishing behind the top 3 and completing a fantastic race Antonelli he fell one place as a result of his punishment, fourth place Plates inherited from him. The sixth Leclerc was followed by Sainz, Hadjar, Hülkenberg and Hamilton number of scorers.

Although Verstappen thanks to his sixth victory of the season and 69th of his career to 42 points reduced his backlog Norris behind in the individual overall, the Briton has a great chance to secure his first World Cup title as early as next weekend. It is the advantage of the World Cup leader to 30 points grew Plates before, of which he must maintain 25 during the Qatar sprint weekend for the championship inauguration.

To be continued next weekend Qatar Grand Prix.