Verstappen relaunches the world championship in Las Vegas. McLaren disqualified
A race full of tension and strategy saw Verstappen impose himself with authority, while Norris retains his rainbow lead despite a crucial mistake
Key points
- Verstappen relaunches world championship again under the lights in Las Vegas
- One mistake too many for Norris, but his stamina is worth gold
- The podium and protagonists: Russell, Leclerc, Piastri
- Ferrari makes up for bad qualifying but with meagre spoils
- The World Cup still open: lights, calculations and tension
Shock at the end of the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Both McLarens, which finished second with Norris and fourth with Piastri, respectively, were disqualified by the Fia for the irregularity of the bottom (the plank). A disqualification that brought George Russell's Mercedes to second place and Kimi Antonelli's other silver star to the podium. Also advancing were the Ferraris, Leclerc from sixth to fourth, and Hmilton, from tenth to eighth.
The night in Las Vegas offered everything Formula 1 can give in its most spectacular moments: speed, strategy, mistakes and redemption. Max Verstappen came back to win in style, again challenging the script of a championship that seemed to be in the hands of Lando Norris with 'too much ease'. But the real magic - and perfect symbol of a weekend as exaggerated as it was decisive - came with the pink Cadillac in LEGO, parked like a scenographic trophy in front of the Bellagio. To close the American 'triptych' of Miami, where Piastri had won, and Austin, in the hands of Verstappen, the big European sponsor, after having had 10 single-seaters with over 400.000 bricks to as many drivers in a 20 mph 'fight' between the curves of the track at the time of the parade today, the three on the podium, Verstappen, Norris and Russell, were transported from the paddock to the prize-giving ceremony in front of the grand hotel inspired by the famous Lake Como village aboard a reproduction of Elvis Presley's pink 1950s Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty Special.
As for the race, it was a monotonous but far from monotonous spectacle. Verstappen was coolly in command throughout the Grand Prix, from literally the first corner, but he didn't just control: he waited for the right moment, managed his stint on tyres longer than his rivals and built a growing lead, never showing any signs of vulnerability. When the delayed pit-stop arrived, his strategy bore fruit, consolidating a position that seemed theoretical at the start, but which took on concrete value. In the finale, he upped the pace even further: fastest lap of the race, track record lowered by one and a half seconds. A powerful message: he is not chasing, he is back in control of the great game of Formula 1.
One mistake too many for Norris, but his stamina is worth its weight in gold
The night of the probable next British baronet had begun with a hopeful sign: pole position, his 16th in his career, and a seemingly reassuring margin in his hands. But at the decisive moment, the curly-haired McLaren driver made a mistake that costs dearly in F1: at the first corner, in an attempt to defend Verstappen, he chose an overly aggressive trajectory, preventing the Dutchman from overtaking the Dutchman with his entire single-seater at the initial sprint but finishing wide to avoid contact. It was a karting gesture, a bit stupid because he must have known he didn't have enough braking space, with the heavy consequences of a real grand prix. The problem is that that failure opened the door wide for his truest rival: Verstappen passed, Russell followed, and Norris had to rebuild the race from a disadvantageous position. From that point on, however, he showed lucidity and cold blood. At a crucial moment, around lap 34, Norris overtook Russell with a precise manoeuvre -thanks to Drs and slipstream- and without any unnecessary momentum, gaining second place. That overtaking move was not just a chase for the podium: it was a response to the reigning champion up front, and above all a tactical reflection on how much every point counts in the rainbow duel.
In the final laps, a problem with the fuel load threatened his peace of mind, but the McLaren held up and he drove the car to the finish line. It was not a triumph, but the minimum necessary to avoid compromising a title that, contrary to his expectations, still hangs in the balance. A great risk taken, no doubt: had he had the same problem a few laps earlier, he might have risked a 'zero points' today. Instead, Piastri remains more and more embanked, with a margin that goes from twenty-four to thirty points. Without 'zeros' in the next few races, however, it will be impossible for Verstappen, who is 42 points behind (improved by seven), to believe again.
The podium and the protagonists: Russell, Leclerc, Piastri
George Russell completed the podium with a pragmatic race: cautious when needed, fast when he could, but never enough to threaten Verstappen's lead. Behind him, the fight for the top spots was a battle ground between Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri. Leclerc showed his best energy halfway through the race, declaring he was pushing 'like an animal' over the radio, and with that panache he remounted. He overtook Piastri, then also Isack Hadjar, gaining positions and credibility. At the end, however, the collapse: he finished sixth and did not even manage to take advantage of a five-second penalty imposed on Antonelli, who, for his part, finished fifth just behind Piastri, who only got fourth position (on the Italian's finish line) after the chequered flag.
The Australian, in fact, suffered: in crisis of rhythm and progressively slow, he finished off the podium without ever even being able to dream of it. His world championship ambitions, which seemed more alive than ever until a few races ago, are crumbling one by one. This makes six consecutive Sundays without a podium finish. What irretrievably affected his performance was considerable bad luck at the start, culminating in a collision with Liam Lawson that forced him to deal with a damaged car from the very first corners. This initial setback, added to a general crisis of pace that never allowed him to recover the lost pace, turned his race into a frantic chase that ended with an anonymous placing.
