Martin Brundle at Las Vegas GP: Max Verstappen reviews fourth world F1 title, George Russell wins statement race | F1 News

Congratulations to Max Verstappen on winning his fourth consecutive Formula 1 World Championship.

The mental and physical dedication to risk one’s life over long periods of time, through good times and bad, to achieve a consistent level of performance and achievement is superhuman.

Several racing drivers have qualified for F1, some of us have scored points, others have reached the podium, some have won races, and some have won championships. Only six people have won more than four titles and the list of Juan Manuel Fangio, Alain Prost, Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton and Verstappen is quite impressive.

Other greats like Jim Clark and Ayrton Senna might have joined them if they had survived longer.

The Red Bull has been the car to beat at the start of the season and Max has won seven of the first ten races, setting a great stage for this title. At that stage he also somehow managed to keep his mind off the public potential crisis that hit team boss Christian Horner, the bickering between his father Jos and Christian, the endless rumors about who would leave the team and Adrian Newey actually leaving. It took some time to navigate as we continued on track.

In the second half of the season he had the third best car, but due to important damage limitations he outperformed him, taking eight race wins so far this season but, crucially, 13 podium finishes. He was also very strong in the point-scoring sprint.

The decisive blow to Lando Norris’ hopes came in Brazil when Verstappen delivered a masterclass from 17th to first. And Max leads teammate Sergio Perez with 403 points to 152 points. This sums up several things.

Russell highlights the ‘real deal’ status of Mercedes’ future, Hamilton’s remarkable recovery.

Amid all the championship noise, you might feel bad for George Russell, who qualified impressively on pole position and simply dominated the race.

He has been at the front for most of the 50 laps so far. We could barely see him because there was a fierce battle going on behind him. This was George’s third Grand Prix victory.

The Mercedes looked very fast from the first practice lap and actually led every session throughout the event. Their car simply performed on a cold, slippery surface and the team had the good graces to admit they weren’t entirely sure why. This is consistent with the car’s unpredictability this year.

It was a solid performance from George, who sees the very real deal in terms of leading the team into the future.

Hamilton, in the sister Mercedes, looked equally quick despite having a few climbs here and there. Unfortunately, he had two poor laps in the final qualifying when the back end came out and started a low 10th lap.

He said after the race that he would have cheated in the race if he had started from the front, which surprised Russell a little. There is no doubt that Russell could have had more speed if he needed to.

But it was a standout drive from Lewis, plowing his way through serious competition to second place, just seven seconds behind the flag. Fans voted him Driver of the Day, and he recently answered a few questions some people were asking him about Over the Hill.

Why Mercedes’ one-two was good news for McLaren

Mercedes’ big points gains in first and second places were a huge relief to McLaren when it came to the Constructors’ Championship. Because this restricted Ferrari to 3rd and 4th, and McLaren to 6th and 7th behind Verstappen.

The Ferrari was many people’s favorite car before the race, but that night they chewed up more tires than the Mercedes, despite the temperature being warmer than the previous evening. Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc were unable to catch Russell or defend against Hamilton as they seemed to constantly be in each other’s path, switching positions here and there with different tire performances.

Both took some effort and time to pass Verstappen who was mainly watching Lando Norris.

Sainz was lucky not to be penalized for entering the pit ramp and being told to stay on track because the team was not ready. In F1, rejoining the track at the fastest final corner would normally attract the attention of race control and the relevant International Sporting Regulations regulations seem clear on this. But I couldn’t hear anything anymore.

Leclerc was a very unhappy man and scolded himself on the radio for being too accommodating in letting team-mate Sainz pass.

Norris’ McLarens were no kinder to their tires than the Ferraris. He finished 43 seconds behind the leader, but that included a late pit stop for a successful run at the final Tour’s fastest lap World Championship spot.

Oscar Piastri had another disappointing race recently after what looked like a marginal call for a five-second penalty for standing in front of his starting grid box.

His seventh place means Ferrari is now 24 points behind McLaren in the teams championship with two races and a sprint to go. McLaren expects to be stronger next time on the Qatar layout, and they need to be.

Nico Hulkenberg scored an important 8th place for Haas, moving him back to 6th place in the Constructors’ category. Alpine lost a chance at a big point when third-place starter Pierre Gasly was sadly forced to retire with power unit issues.

Another retiree in a race without a safety car or yellow flag was Alex Albon, whose Williams had overheating issues. Remarkably, the team assembled two late-spec cars after the Brazil massacre and at the start of the season, but rookie Franco Colapinto violently dismantled one of them in qualifying.

Colapinto will finish 14th, but will need some mental care due to the hype and support he immediately garnered. Finishing the race safely was what the 21-year-old needed to do.

Yuki Tsunoda finished in 9th place with 2 points after a very solid weekend. Just behind him in 10th was Perez in the second Red Bull, who had tire problems all evening despite a brilliant double overtake at Turn 14.

Final thoughts from Vegas as anticipation builds for F1 2025

Las Vegas is an interesting event that feels endlessly late, dark and cold compared to the schedule and time of year. It’s difficult to get around, but on the other hand, it’s incredible to witness the endless sea of ​​people and fans with decent prizes at the trackside and in the casinos where the hotels are located.

I regularly scold myself for thinking F1 in Las Vegas was never that great, but when you’re showering at 3am and desperately trying to warm your bones before finding something to eat, the schedule seems a bit redundant for everyone.

But again it was a fun race on a slippery surface under the amazing backdrop and lights of the Strip and Sphere. And this season went on to become the first season in history where four teams recorded one win, two losses, and each won at least four Grands Prix. And it marks the first time that seven drivers have won multiple races. until now.

Next year promises to be closer still considering the static technical regulations and it would be truly impressive if Verstappen wins in those regulations as well. That’s before you even consider that there are two races over the next two weekends to close out this season.

Formula 1’s season-ending tripleheader continues this weekend with the Qatar Grand Prix, broadcast live on Sky Sports F1. Stream the last two F1 races and more with a NOW Sports Month membership. There is no contract and you can cancel at any time.