Source -
Tyres NorthamptonThe British duo will be delighted at the result after a rollercoaster season of results that has so often seen the Silver Arrows struggle behind their rivals. Yet, another name had more to smile about under the Vegas lights after another entertaining race in Nevada.
Max Verstappen joined an elite group of drivers with four World Championships to their name. The Dutch champion's race ebbed and flowed as the Pirelli tyre grip fluctuated in the cool temperatures, eventually finishing P5. Though the result wasn't anything like his wonder race in Sao Paulo three weeks ago, Verstappen outscored Lando Norris to seal the crown in America's biggest party town.
McLaren and Ferrari had exchanged all the victories since the summer break until the Brazilian brilliance from Verstappen in the F1's last round. However, both teams looked far slower than Mercedes all weekend at the Las Vegas Street Circuit. Both Silver Arrows found the fastest times from Free Practice until Qualifying, and Russell promptly took pole for a P1 that he never gave up during the race. Hamilton, meanwhile, had two errors in Q3 and spent his Grand Pirx making up time from P10.
Russell led into Turn 1 after lights out to leave those behind him jostling for position. Charles Leclerc found the best traction around the Turn 1 left-hander on his cold Pirelli tyres to leap from P4 to P2 in a single corner. The high-starting Pierre Gasly and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz each lost out as they battled each other, allowing Leclerc through to chase down the Mercedes ahead.
It looked as though Leclerc might've enjoyed the race-day speed he had during F1's last trip to the USA in Austin as the Monegasque inched up to Russell down the long main straight in the opening laps. Russell repeatedly perfectly placed his W15 car to fend off the Ferrari and retain the lead despite the constant pressure. That defending soon paid off, too, as Leclerc's tyre graining had him falling back and losing the places he gained on the first lap.
Sainz eased past his teammate, and Verstappen soon reached the podium positions after swiftly passing Ocon with DRS, then the ailing Leclerc to pick up P3. Verstappen doubled the pain for the Scuderia, next passing Sainz to snatch P2. Unsurprisingly, Ferrari chose to pit Leclerc for the favoured Pirelli Hard compound tyre in an effort to stem the flow. The unexpected early tyre switch opened the door for everyone to run a two-stop race instead of the expected one-stop.
To find out more about our comprehensive range of services, or to book your vehicle in, contact our friendly team of experts today.
Strategies converged as those who started on the yellow-ringed Medium tyre stopped for Hards, while those already equipped with Pirelli's most durable option ended up just ahead of those with fresh rubber. A scramble to lose the least time behind the midfielders that the frontrunners returned to track amongst gave the Vegas fans plenty of entertainment. And if overtaking wasn't enough fun, a lesser-spotted smoking engine failure like F1 of old prematurely ended Gasly's race in spectacular fashion.
Hamilton was the big winner of all the movement, ending on the tail of those who started higher than his Mercedes. The Briton had already fought by Oscar Piastri and Yuki Tsunoda before stopping and emerging on track just adrift of Norris, soon taking P6 from his compatriot with the aid of DRS. Hamilton's 2025 team was the next target, and he caused problems for Ferrari, who now had a reversal of issues, as Sainz, not Leclerc, struggled for grip.
Perhaps the race's most bizarre laps came when Sainz began begging his team to pit him and was instead told to swap positions with Leclerc. The Spaniard complied, somehow letting the sister Ferrari through without allowing Hamilton to pass. He headed to the pit lane on his next lap with Hamilton in hot pursuit before darting back onto the track when the team radio told him they weren't ready for his stop. The lost time from the miscommunication allowed Hamilton to inherit the position and continue his march forward without needing to pass on track.
Verstappen was Hamilton's next victim, and any hopes for potential fireworks between the great 2021 rivals didn't come to anything. Keeping his eyes on the big picture, Verstappen offered no defence when Hamilton picked up DRS, instead remaining happy to be in front of Norris and set for the title. With Leclerc pitting after lapping slower than the Mercedes pace, Hamilton had bypassed the Ferrari duo and reached P2 in a remarkable fightback from P10.
The race still had plenty of changes in the upper positions, though. Ferrari's back-and-forth evening next had Sainz, still seething from his pit stop problems, pushing and passing Leclerc to lead the pair in their fight with Verstappen, despite Ferrari telling Leclerc he wouldn't need to worry about his Spanish teammate. DRS then helped Sainz get close enough to pass the Red Bull and reclaim a hard-fought P3 for another podium. Verstappen's RB20 briefly kept up with Sainz, but Leclerc overtook for P4 once the Dutchman fell out of DRS to end his up-and-down 50 laps to finish where he started.
Hamilton looked like he might've had enough speed to close in on Russell during the final laps, but his charge soon ran out of steam. Russell had done enough to secure his most dominant weekend in the sport and claim his second win of 2024, the seventh driver of the season to do so. Jubilation for Mercedes, who had reached the top once again, and for Red Bull, who saw Verstappen take his fourth crown. It's now all eyes on the World Constructors' Championship for F1's final two rounds, with the Qatar GP coming up this weekend.