Sunday Debrief: Verstappen wins in a gripping Vegas GP debut

Viva Las Vegas! Vegas has officially joined the F1 calander and did not disappoint after a hectic debut from Friday practice to Sunday’s race. Ultimately at the end it was Verstappen to take yet another victory this season, Red Bull beating Mercedes record with 19 wins for the team in a single season.

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It was a hectic debut for Vegas in F1, a race that’s been 40 years in the making. FP1 and FP2 was derailed after Sainz got damage to his car after driving over a manhole, damaging the floor of his Ferrari. The incident caused a delay to FP2 by over an hr while officials worked to check the safety of the track. Fans outraged with the delay, hit the the GP with a lawsuit, the trouble yet to unfold.

 

Sainz unfortunately received a 10-place grid drop penalty for the incident. Sainz was not the only driver to receive a penalty, stroll received a 5-place grid drop penalty for an incident in FP3, starting the race from P19.

 

In Qualifying it was Leclerc, who landed his Ferrari on pole followed by his teammate in P2. Sainz dropping down to P12 with the penalty, promoting Hamilton and Perez in the battle for P2 in the championship up to P10 and P11 respectively. Both Hamilton and Perez failing to make it into Q3. Two big shocks in qualifying, with both Williams drivers qualifying in the top 10, Sargeant in P6, his highest start this season, and Albon in P5, the other big talk being the McLarens who seemed to have struggled to get out of Q1.

 

Going into turn 1, Verstappen forced Leclerc wide off the track gaining an advantage as he took the lead of the race, in response Verstappen was given a 5-second penalty by the stewards. Further back from the front, Alonso spun into T1, Hamilton and Sainz getting caught in the incident, both drivers dropping positions. On lap 2 the VSC was brought out as stewards cleared debris off the track, Perez pitting for a new front wing, as well as Alonso. The race resuming on lap 3.

 

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Will the lights green again, it wasn’t long until the next safety car was brought out. Lando Norris going off into the runoff area, as he lost the rear of his car before hitting the barrier with high impact, Norris nearly wiping his teammate out as his McLaren skimmed past his teammate. With the safety car out, Sainz took the opportunity to pit after the collision earlier in the race, swapping from Medium to Hard tyres, as he tries to make up positions. The safety car was brought back in on lap 6.

 

Norris was the first out of the race, followed by Hulkenberg who silently retired in the latter half of the race and Tsunoda who retired on lap 48 with gearbox issues.

 

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After losing the lead at the start of the race, Leclerc passed Verstappen a few corners before Verstappen came into the pits and serving his penalty. Verstappen struggling on his tyres as he pushed too hard at the restart, Leclerc looking vicious in his Ferrari as he charged behind Verstappen for the lead.

 

Hamilton got a right-rear puncture on lap 17, after contact with the remaining McLaren of Piastri. Stewards not investigating the incident further noting it as a racing incident. Hamilton with a puncture dropped back down the grid after making good progress from the unfortunate start. Hamilton came into the pits on lap 18, re-joining the track in P19. The safety car was once again brought out on lap 26, with more debris on the track, resuming on lap 28.

 

By Lap 33, Perez was leading the grand prix, the third race leader of the GP. Perez not leading long before he was replaced by Leclerc on lap 36, who was shortly taken by Verstappen on lap 37. With 13 laps to go Verstappen held on to the lead with Perez and Leclerc in close proximity behind. Leclerc was passed by Perez for P2, the pair continuing to swap and change positions up to the final lap, Leclerc ultimately winning the battle as he took P2 in the final corners of the final lap.

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Russell was the second driver to receive a penalty, Russell taking a 5-second penalty for causing a collision. Russell not taking another pit stop instead adding it on at the end of the race, which dropped him down to P8 just behind his teammate. Hamilton, who needed to finish in P6 to keep the championship battel for P2 alive, finished the race ahead of his teammate in P7, ending the battel with one race to go.