Sunday Debrief: Russell leads a Mercedes 1-2 under Vegas lights, while Verstappen secures his fourth consecutive championship title

George Russell took victory under the Vegas lights after starting from pole, his teammate putting in a stellar job to climb from P10 to P2, to make it a 1-2 for Mercedes. Max Verstappen took his fourth consecutive title with Red Bull, finishing in P5 10 seconds ahead of championship rival Norris.

 

Qualifying

Going into qualifying it was the Mercedes that looked like the ones to look out for. Hamilton topped the times in both practice sessions in Friday, followed closely by his teammate, who went on to top the times in the final practice session ahead of qualifying.

 

After an incident in FP3 for Stroll, the Aston Martin mechanics rushed to get Stroll’s car back in shape to get him out for Q1. The mechanics working against the clock and succeeding as Stroll came out for the final minutes of the session, just enough to set one lap time. Despite the tremendous effort from the mechanics, it wasn’t enough time on Stroll’s end, as the Canadian remained in P20, along with him, Bottas, Albon, Alonso and Perez made an early exit.

 

With Q2 underway, Hamilton and Russell continued to show the pace the team have been threatening with the weekend so far, Hamilton ending the session in P1 and Russell in P3. In the final moments of the session, Colapinto went into the wall, putting an end to Q2, seeing Lawson, Colapinto, Zhou in his best qualifying this season, Magnussen and Ocon all make a Q2 exit.

 

While Hamilton looked to be on fire in Q1 and Q2, it all went downhill for the British driver in Q3, all hopes of pole fading away. Hamilton locking up and going into the runoff area midway into the session before coming back into the pits. With one final shot to take pole, Hamilton set off on a flying lap, all sign of hope disappearing as he lost the rear of his Mercedes and aborted the lap. With Hamilton sticking in P10, it was his teammate who took pole position on Saturday. Carlos Sainz took P2, followed by Gasly in P3 and his teammate in P4.

 

Race

Colapinto, following a crash with the barrier in Q2, started the race from the back of the grid in the pit lane after taking a new gearbox. Ahead of him, Valtteri Bottas who took a 5-place grid penalty. Up on the other end of the grid, Russell parked his Mercedes on pole beside Carlos Sainz. The third row occupied by the championship competitors, led by Verstappen in P5, Verstappen needed only to finish ahead of Norris in this race to take the title.

 

Going into turn1, Russell charged off the lean to hold the lead, while behind Leclerc stayed on the inside to glide past Gasly and his teammate, Carlos Sainz, promoting himself to P2. Russell attempting to break away from the pack but was found in a tangle with Leclerc on lap 4 up until lap 5, the pair going neck-to-neck.

 

In his fight to remain the F1 world Champion and hold onto the number ‘1’, Verstappen, on lap 9, made his move on Leclerc, who had dropped behind his teammate after waring out his tires in pursuit of George Russell, Verstappen in P2, with Norris remaining in P6. Verstappen made his move past the other Ferrari on lap 10

 

In the midfield of the grid, Piastri was handed a 5-second time penalty for a starting infringement. McLaren were quick to respond, bringing their driver in immediately, Piastri falling to the back of the grid.

 

With all the drivers having pitted between the Mercedes drivers, Hamilton moved up from P10 to P2, 15 seconds behind his teammate on lap 12. Mercedes choosing to bring their race leader into the pits at the end of lap 12, allowing Hamilton to inherit the lead, Hamilton holding the lead momentarily before pitting a lap later and giving the place back to his teammate. Hamilton coming out back behind all the drivers he fought to pass in P9, but on fresher tyres.

 

Issues for Gasly came on lap 16 after he reported that something was off on his Alpine, the team unable to find any issues on the data screens, Gasly being passed effortlessly by Piastri and Alonso in the process. Gasly’s engine smoking seconds later just outside of the pit entry, Gasly coming in and pitting an end to his race. Disappointment for the Frenchman who finished on the third step of the podium last time out in Brazil. Albon a few laps later added his name to the retirement list, with mechanical issues, the team reporting issues with the power unit.

 

With intentions of a one stop race, fate changed on track with the grid needing to make a second pit stop. Sainz begging the team to bring him into the pits, but Ferrari denied and left their driver out on worn tyres. Verstappen looked like he’d be the first to come in on lap 26, but a late radio from the team told the driver to stay out, instead Verstappen came in the following lap, accompanied by Hamilton, the drivers coming out in P5 and 6 respectively.

 

 As Hamilton went to pit, Sainz danced on the line of the pit entry, teasing a stop but changing his mind suddenly and returning to the track, a move against FIA rules yet no harm came Sainz’s way who drove away guilty-free. Sainz eventually coming to pit on lap 29 after laps of debating the stop, yet the mechanics weren’t ready for the Spanish driver to make his stop.

 

With 15 laps to go, and excellent speed in the cold climate of Vegas, Hamilton hunted down his teammate. Hamilton passing Verstappen on lap 32 to stand 32 second behind his teammate in the lead, the gap between the drivers closing to 12 seconds after Russell made his stop on lap33.

 

With 5 laps left in the race, Hamilton closes the gap down to 5 seconds, however, all that effort to chase down for the lead all unwired when Hamilton began to fall back from his teammate and drift closer to Sainz in P3. Hamilton using up every inch of life in his tyres, leaving the driver no choice but to settle for P2.

 

With title hopes gone for Norris, the drivers focus shifts onto the team game, Norris with a safe gap to his teammate behind, pitted on lap 49 to try and snatch the fastest ap from Hamilton, Norris succeeding and picking up an extra point for the team.

 

As the came to take the chequered flag, waved by Sylvester Stallone, Russell sped past to take his second win this season, and to increase his career total to 3. Hamilton finished to make give their team their first 1-2 of the seasons, the fourth constructor to do so this season, while Sainz finished P3 behind his 2025 replacement.

 

Having only finished in P5, Red Bull came to life as Verstappen took the chequered flag, commemorative shirts being passed across the garage, as their number 1 driver finished ahead of Norris to make it a fourth consecutive title for Verstappen. Verstappen the first to achieve 4 consecutive titles since Sebastian Vettel in 2012 with Red Bull.