Written by Sofia Costantino, Edited by Meghana Sree
Formula One returns to Las Vegas to kick off the final three races of the season, all across consecutive weekends: First up in the Nevada desert, USA, before jetting off to the Middle East in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
After an extraordinary race in Brazil, where Max Verstappen won by masterfully taking advantage of the weather conditions with heavy rain and a wet track, we head to Las Vegas with the Red Bull driver getting closer to his fourth consecutive title.
This weekend in Las Vegas, Verstappen can manage to retain his crown, if he wins the race or simply finishes ahead — in any position — of Lando Norris, his only competitor in the Drivers' Championship, whom he leads by 62 points in the standings.
Despite what was achieved and demonstrated in Interlagos, including a visible improvement of the RB20, the result had more to do with the specific conditions of the race, which, in normal dry conditions, would be favourable to McLaren, as seen in the Sprint race the day before, with Norris and his teammate Oscar Piastri finishing easily in the first two places.
We may see a conservative and cautious Verstappen, eager not to give away points unnecessarily, and trying to read the race according to his possibilities depending largely on the condition of his car compared to the competition.
With Ferrari’s pressure just behind them in the Constructors’ Championship, McLaren will be intent on looking for the greatest number of points possible.
With a 36-point advantage over Ferrari and with the history of having finished well with both their drivers in most of the races in the second part of this season, including four wins and ten podiums in the last nine races, the title is certainly not out of reach for the Papaya Team.
However, Ferrari proved to be particularly strong on this track in 2023, with Charles Leclerc taking pole, and finishing on the podium in second place after a stunning last-lap lunge on Sergio Perez, placing behind the unbeatable Verstappen/RB19 duo.
Furthermore, the obvious improvements to the SF-24 throughout the campaign have paid off, with three wins in the last six races.
The big draw of the 22nd race of the season will therefore be the Ferrari/McLaren showdown, two historically great rivals, but both without a title since 2008 and 1998 respectively.
The first race on this track, held in 2023 (it was run in Las Vegas in 1981 and 1982 in the Caesar Palace car park), turned out to be a surprisingly good race and a real sporting spectacle, when most people thought it would only be - in the city of entertainment - a party and a media show.
The only major setback was the suction start of a poorly installed drain cover on the straight of the hotels, which damaged the underside of Carlos Sainz's Ferrari, suspending the first free practice, and becoming a huge source of criticism for the organisers (Liberty Media, owner of the category).
The organisers evicted the spectators, the latter of whom are now pursuing legal action for lack of adequate compensation. The amount could reach one billion dollars, a third of the annual income of the F1 commercial management.
We are fast approaching this season’s finale with bittersweet feelings, sadness because of an unforgettable season ending, Hamilton’s last races with his long-time team Mercedes, Carlos with Ferrari, and Colapinto’s unsure future.
But at the same time, excitement because we still don’t know who the champion will be. Could we witness a new champion this year, however slim the odds may be? This weekend will be filled with nothing but thrilling moments so let’s enjoy our three final races before we have to wait till March 2025 to see our favourite cars and drivers get back on track.
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