Russell Wins F1 Las Vegas GP, Verstappen crowned World Champion to take fourth consecutive title

Nov 24, 20243 min read

Updated: Jan 5

Written by Owen Bradley

George Russell took a dominant victory at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, converting pole position into a race victory. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen was crowned the 2024 F1 World Champion, taking his fourth consecutive title with Red Bull Racing.

The start of the race would see Charles Leclerc taking a huge advantage as Carlos Sainz and Pierre Gasly ran slightly deep into the first corner, opening up a gap for the Monegasque, who then remained within striking distance of the polesitter and race leader, George Russell.

Further through the field, Liam Lawson and Kevin Magnussen would get into a battle, the pair of them bumping wheels a couple of times on the opening lap, to the dismay of Magnussen.

This race would quickly become one defined by strategy and tyre management, as Russell extended his lead over the rest of the field. Leclerc suddenly dropped behind Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz as the tyre grip on the Medium compound began dropping. Leclerc would then also fall behind Max Verstappen, the Dutchman quickly making his way into the podium places.

Leclerc would come into the pits early on, followed by Lando Norris as the McLaren had also been struggling for grip. Oscar Piastri would receive a 5-second time penalty for being out of place on the grid, McLaren's race and championship hopes in both the Drivers' and Constructor's championships being tested, as Verstappen maintained a large lead over Norris, and Ferrari both challenged for the podium places.

Lewis Hamilton would come through the field quickly, the 7-time World Champion managing the tyres well enough to stay out on track, as the Ferrari's pitted along with Lando Norris and Max Verstappen.

Only a short way through the race, Pierre Gasly would be forced to retire from the race after an engine issue, thoroughly disappointing for the Frenchman, who had started the race from third place. Sergio Perez would also start climbing through the field, catching Liam Lawson as the pair found themselves duelling once again this season.

Hamilton would then quickly come through the field at the halfway stage of the race, managing to scrap with the Ferrari's. The Brit would find his way past both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, then eventually soaring past Max Verstappen down the back straight to take second place. In the closing stage of the race, Hamilton would close the gap to Russell down by almost 10 seconds.

Sergio Perez would then make a double overtake on both Liam Lawson and Kevin Magnussen, the three of them somehow not making contact at all, showcasing perhaps the greatest overtake in F1 Las Vegas history.

Suddenly, Verstappen's Red Bull would be the one to suffer from tyre wear issues, as Carlos Sainz managed to dive up the inside of the Dutchman, then holding Verstappen within the DRS (Drag Reduction System) zone as Charles Leclerc would struggle to get past the reigning champion.

In the closing stages, Leclerc would manage to overtake Max Verstappen, taking fourth place as Ferrari take a vital result, closing to McLaren in the constructors championship.

George Russell would bring it home to take a dominant victory after starting from pole position, an exceptional result for the Mercedes driver, who takes his second race victory of the season. Lewis Hamilton would finish second after starting from 10th, a truly exceptional result as Hamilton closes out the 2024 season and the final season with Mercedes.

Max Verstappen becomes a four-time champion of the world, an incredible result for the Dutchman who has managed to defend from the potential threat of Lando Norris and McLaren, as the field has also got much closer in terms of competitivity. Verstappen wins big in Vegas.

F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Results

1st George Russell, Mercedes

2nd Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes

3rd Carlos Sainz, Ferrari

4th Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

5th Max Verstappen, Red Bull - WORLD CHAMPION

6th Lando Norris, McLaren

7th Oscar Piastri, McLaren

8th Nico Hulkenberg, Haas

9th Yuki Tsunoda, RB

10th Sergio Perez, Red Bull

11th Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin