On Saturday night at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Max Verstappen won his fourth Formula One world title in a row. The 27-year-old Dutchman finished fifth in a race won by Mercedes’ George Russell, becoming only the sixth driver to win four championships, joining Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, Juan Manuel Fangio, Sebastian Vettel, and Alain Prost. McLaren’s Lando Norris, Verstappen’s only title opponent, finished sixth. “Oh my god, what a season, four times, thank you guys,” Verstappen told his Red Bull squad via radio. “It was a little more challenging than the previous year, but we made it through.
He pitted as early as the tenth lap, dropping to 17th place. Verstappen jumped in two laps later, replacing medium tires for hard on his Red Bull and rejoining in sixth place. Russell remained in pole position in his Mercedes after the early stops. Verstappen finished second, with Ferrari’s Sainz and Leclerc, as well as Hamilton in the second Mercedes, providing a significant gap between the Dutchman and Norris.
The Englishman’s mood under the lights worsened at the midway point when he radioed his team to say he was having problems with his McLaren’s front tires. Meanwhile, Pierre Gasly, who had started third in the Alpine, and Williams’ Alex Albon were the first to retire.
Hamilton continued to move through the field from 10th on the grid, passing two Ferraris before comfortably passing Verstappen to claim second place. By the 33rd lap, Russell was 11 seconds ahead of his Mercedes partner. With the title in reach, Verstappen watched as Sainz and Leclerc passed, confident that a fifth-place finish would secure the title.