LAS VEGAS – Saturday night was good for Max Verstappen.
The Red Bull driver finished fifth at the Las Vegas Grand Prix and it was enough to win his fourth consecutive Formula 1 World Championship.
He needed to finish ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris to clinch the title and that's what he did. Norris came in sixth place.
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Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands drives the track during qualifying for the Formula One United States Grand Prix auto race, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
It was by no means the easiest weekend for Verstappen. Red Bull made a mistake when adjusting its rear wing and data showed its car was slower than Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton on the straights. While Russell took pole, Verstappen was able to get enough out of the car to start fifth. He only needed to score three more points than Norris to win the world championship. Norris qualified sixth.
Mercedes was clearly faster. Russell won the race. It was his second victory of the season. Hamilton finished just behind him, while Ferrari's Carlos Sainz took the podium in third.
Mercedes driver George Russell of Great Britain celebrates winning the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix car race, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Verstappen tied with Sebastian Vettel, Juan Manuel Fangio and Hamilton with four consecutive titles. Michael Schumacher won five championships in a row between 2000 and 2004.
Schumacher and Hamilton each have the most world titles with seven in total. Fangio has five and Verstappen is tied with Vettel and Alain Prost with four.
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands prepares to race before the Las Vegas F1 Grand Prix car race, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
F1 LEGEND MARIO ANDRETTI TALKS ABOUT AMERICAN DRIVERS AND CONSTRUCTORS RETURNING TO THE NETWORK AHEAD OF THE LAS VEGAS GP
Las Vegas Grand Prix riders had to battle a weekend of cold and windy weather. Drivers slipped and slid everywhere during the first three practices. But he accelerated the pace in qualifying and the only mistake was Franco Colapinto, who suffered a fall in Q2.
Apart from Pierre Gasly's disappointing night on Saturday, the race was run cleanly.
The F1 calendar still has two races on its agenda, the Qatar Grand Prix and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with the constructors' championship at stake.
Ferrari drivers Sainz and Charles Leclerc finished third and fourth, and McLaren's Norris and Oscar Piastri finished sixth and seventh.
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands drives the track during qualifying for the Formula One United States Grand Prix auto race, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
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McLaren began the weekend 36 points clear of Ferrari in the constructors' standings. After the result in Las Vegas, McLaren will be up 24 points heading into Qatar (608 points compared to 584 for Ferrari).
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