Max Verstappen secured his fourth consecutive Formula 1 championship on Saturday night by finishing fifth in the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Verstappen only needed to finish ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris to claim the championship for Red Bull. Verstappen started in fifth but moved up to second by the 10th lap on the Las Vegas street circuit, which includes the famous Las Vegas Strip.
Norris, who needed to score at least three more points than Verstappen to keep the championship race going, finished in sixth. Verstappen just needed to finish ahead of Norris to win the title, which he did with two races still remaining in the season.
“Max Verstappen you are a four-time world champion,” said Red Bull team principal Christian Horner on the radio. “That is a phenomenal, phenomenal achievement. You can be incredibly proud of yourself as we are.”
Verstappen, only the sixth driver in F1 history to win at least four titles, sounded emotional on the radio.
“Oh my God, what a season. Four times. Thank you, thank you guys,” he said. “We gave it all.”
Meanwhile, George Russell won the race, followed by Lewis Hamilton, marking the first 1-2 finish for Mercedes drivers since 2022. Hamilton came from 10th on the grid, just two weeks after a difficult race in Brazil, to finish on the podium.
Carlos Sainz Jr. finished third for Ferrari, as the battle for the constructor championship remains tight between McLaren and Ferrari. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was fourth. Red Bull had won the constructor title in the last two seasons, but they’ve slipped to third in the standings.
The constructor championship is expected to be decided at the season finale in Abu Dhabi next month. McLaren leads Ferrari by 24 points heading into this weekend’s race in Qatar.
For Verstappen, the race was relatively easy, as Norris had pushed him harder than anyone since Verstappen’s first title in 2021.
“To stand here as a four-time world champion is something I never thought would be possible,” Verstappen told actor Terry Crews, who hosted the podium news conference in front of the Bellagio fountains. “It was a very challenging season and I had to be calm. I think this season taught me a lot of lessons and we handled it well as a team, so that of course makes it a very special and beautiful season.”
Verstappen, who is 27, won 19 races last year. He started this season strong but had a long winless streak from June until Brazil two weeks ago, leaving him with only eight wins, his fewest since 2020.
At the Bellagio, Verstappen asked what time it was, saying he was in Las Vegas and “I’m very thirsty,” with a champagne celebration waiting for him.
He was cruising in third with about 20 laps to go and was not pushing too hard when Red Bull reminded him to stay focused on the goal. “Max, just don’t lose sight of our aim today, yeah?” he was told.
Verstappen replied, “Yeah, yeah. I’m doing my race.” When he saw the Ferrari drivers behind him, he asked if he should try to hold them off, as it could affect the constructor championship.
“Do you want me to try to keep them behind or what?” Verstappen asked about Sainz and Leclerc. “I think you should, yeah,” Red Bull replied.
Verstappen couldn’t hold them off, but it didn’t matter as his season had been strong enough to match former Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel with four titles for the team.
This was the second year of the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Last year’s debut was a bit of a disaster, as locals were upset about ongoing construction, traffic delays, and high prices. There was also an issue with a loose valve cover that nearly destroyed Sainz’s Ferrari during practice, causing a long delay and late-night practice sessions.
This year, however, things were smoother, partly because the major infrastructure problems had been sorted out, and last year’s race had been one of the best of the F1 season.
Russell started on pole ahead of Sainz, who sought redemption after last year’s issues. Sainz had to serve a penalty because of damage to his car from last year’s race.
“I was hoping Vegas had something to offer me after last year, but I will take a podium,” Sainz said. “I was looking at every manhole, avoiding them this time.”
The race was the final U.S. stop for F1, which has gained popularity in the U.S. over the last five years. The three races in Miami, Austin, Texas, and Las Vegas are more than any other country.
After the race, F1 is expected to announce the addition of an 11th team, an American team backed by General Motors’ Cadillac brand. The team was started by Michael Andretti, but he could not get F1’s approval for the expansion.
Andretti has since handed over ownership to Dan Towriss, an Indiana businessman, and Mark Walter, who controls the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Cadillac F1 team could join in 2026.
The announcement of the American team was delayed to avoid overshadowing the Las Vegas Grand Prix, which is a key event for Liberty Media.
The debut event last year was thought to have cost nearly $1 billion, but expenses were down this year, though Liberty still put on a glamorous show with nightclubs, ice-skating rinks, live music, and a late start to give it that big Saturday night feel.
Race-winner Russell said he would skip his scheduled flight home to celebrate his victory with actor Crews.
