Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won his fourth consecutive World Drivers’ Championship with fifth place in the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
The race was won by Mercedes’ George Russell, who held off a charge by team-mate Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time champion taking second place from 10th on the grid.
Verstappen’s position behind the Ferraris of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc was more than enough for the Dutchman.
His title rival Lando Norris could manage only sixth for McLaren, his deficit to the Dutchman now 63 points with a maximum of 60 available. Verstappen joins Alain Prost and Sebastian Vettel as a four-time champion, with only Hamilton, Michael Schumacher and Juan Manuel Fangio ahead of him in that list.
“What a season,” Verstappen said to his team over the radio. “It was a little more difficult than last season, but we pulled through.”
He added: “It has been a long season and we started amazing, almost like cruising, and then we had a tough run but we kept it together as a team, kept working on improvements and pulled it over the line.
“To stand here as a four-time world champion is something I never thought possible so standing here relieved in a way but also proud.” Third and fourth places for the Ferraris of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc reduced their deficit to McLaren in the constructors’ championship to 24 points with two races to go. Norris stopped for fresh tyres to take fastest lap in the closing stages to give McLaren an extra point.
Verstappen, starting one place ahead of Norris in fifth place on the grid, headed his rival throughout a relatively quiet race for the Red Bull driver as Russell took control from the start.
Verstappen’s measured performance was aimed at securing the title at the first chance he had, and he did so with the calmness and aplomb with which he has driven for the vast majority of the year.
Russell controlled the race from the front, fending off an early challenge from Leclerc, who jumped from fourth on the grid to second past Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and then Sainz around the first two corners.
Source: BBCSports
