Grand Prix of Las Vegas: Verstappen – Leclerc – Perez

Dark. Dry. Air +18C, highway +18C

It all depends on the little things. Liberty Media acted as a promoter of the Las Vegas Grand Prix and actively promoted it, but it was remembered not by the bright show, but by the breakdown of the drainage system hatch during the first training session.

Shutters have been broken before – in Baku, in Sepang, in Monaco, but in Vegas the spectators waited several hours until all thirty shutters were filled with concrete and covered with asphalt, and then they were simply kicked out of the stands.

The security guards and bus drivers were off shifts, the union did not allow them to continue working, and the organizers had no replacements. And Formula 1 didn’t even apologize to the people who paid for the tickets, offering them a voucher to spend in the gift shop.

Liberty Media talked for a long time about the growing interest in Formula 1 in the USA, the tickets were almost completely sold, but the manhole cover of the drainage system changed everything. And it became a major topic on the local news.

It was cold at night, cars were sliding on the new asphalt and the tires were not working. Max Verstappen said on Thursday that the race in Vegas is 99% show and 1% sport. At first the world champion’s statement seemed overly emotional, but it essentially set the vector for the entire weekend.

Due to a broken hatch, the first training lasted only eight minutes. Three cars were damaged: Ocon, Sainz and Zhou. Esteban had his bottom end replaced, Carlos had his bottom end and drive unit replaced, so he also received a ten-place penalty. Lance Stroll lost five places at the start due to overtaking under yellow flags.

The stewards admitted that the damage to the car was caused by external factors, but did not deviate from the regulations, but due to the fact that qualifying and the race take place on the same day, which is against the rules, they deviated of the regulations, which officially announce that the race will start on Saturday at 10 p.m. local time; according to the documents it will take place on Sunday.

Charles Leclerc dominated the weekend. He was fastest in the first two practice sessions and won qualifying. Sainz showed the second fastest time, but due to an error by the organizers, he lost ten places at the start due to a replacement power plant, so that the first row of the starting field was shared by Leclerc and Verstappen, the second by Russell and Gasly, the third by Albon and Sargent. The balance of power proved unusual. Both McLaren drivers retired in the first session, Hamilton in the second. For some the tapes worked, for others they didn’t.

In the race, Hamilton, Piastri and Zhou started on Hard, Tsunoda and Stroll on Soft and the rest started the race on Medium.

At the start, Verstappen pushed Leclerc off the track and took the lead. Alonso spun, Bottas crashed into him and Valtteri was caught by Perez. Sainz spun after hitting Hamilton’s cars in the first corner. The virtual security machine mode has been announced.

Top ten in round 2: Verstappen – Leclerc – Russell – Gasly – Albon – Sargent – Magnussen – Magnussen – Ocon – Stroll – Perez.

Perez and Alonso swapped tires.

On lap 3, Norris crashed at Turn 11 and the safety car came out. Lando himself left the car, he was sent to a medical center and then to a hospital for a check-up.

Stroll and Sainz swapped tires.

A restart was announced on the seventh lap. Verstappen retained the lead. Piastri defeated Tsunoda for 10th place. Sainz beat Alonso to 17th place.

On lap 8, Hamilton passed Tsunoda for 11th place.

Verstappen was given a five-second time penalty for overtaking on the first lap when he overtook Leclerc off track and failed to regain the position.

On lap 9, Ocon passed Magnussen for seventh place.

On lap 10, Hamilton passed Hulkenberg for tenth place. Piastri overtook Magnussen.

On lap 12, Hamilton passed Magnussen for 9th place.

Top ten in round 13: Verstappen – Leclerc – Russell – Gasly – Albon – Sargent – Ocon – Piastri – Hamilton – Magnussen.

On lap 14 Hulkenberg changed tires, Ocon for Sargent in the battle for sixth place. Piastri and Hamilton overtook Sargent.

On lap 16, Russell made a pit stop. Leclerc was ahead of Verstappen in the battle for the lead – and Max drove into the pits to change tires. Piastri and Albon swapped tires.

Hamilton complained of a flat tire, lost position and changed tires.

On lap 20, Gasly passed Zhou for seventh place.

On the 21st lap Ocon made a pit stop, on the 22nd – Leclerc and returned to the track in third.

On lap 23, Russell passed Alonso for fifth place.

On lap 25, Russell and Verstappen took the lead from Sainz. Ocon passed Albon. Bottas changed tires.

Verstappen and Russell collide for position, but keep moving. George received a five-second time penalty.

On lap 26, Ocon passed Zhou for tenth place.

Due to the wreck, the safety car was sent out after Max and George’s contract.

Perez, Stroll, Verstappen, Russell, Sainz, Alonso, Zhou and Hamilton changed their tires.

Top ten for safety car: Leclerc – Perez – Gasly – Piastri – Verstappen – Ocon – Stroll – Albon – Russell – Sainz.

A restart was announced on the 29th lap. Leclerc retained the lead. Albon stayed ahead of Stroll, Piastri overtook Gasly in the battle for third place.

On lap 32, Verstappen overtook Gasly for fourth place, and Perez overtook Leclerc to lead the race.

On lap 33, Verstappen overtook Piastri for third place. Ocon and Gasly traded places several times in the battle for position, with Esteban eventually taking the lead.

On lap 35, Leclerc passed Perez for the lead.

Top ten in lap 36: Leclerc – Perez – Verstappen – Piastri – Ocon – Gasly – Stroll – Albon – Russell – Sainz.

On the 36th lap Perez passed Verstappen, who moved to second place, and on the 37th Max overtook Leclerc to lead the race.

On lap 38, Hamilton overtook Zhou for 12th.

Albon gathered a large group of cars behind him, fighting for positions of eight to twelve. Russell was the first to overtake Alex, then Sainz, Alonso and Hamilton.

On lap 42, Stroll overtook Gasly in the battle for sixth place – Pierre was having problems with his energy storage device.

On the 43rd lap, Leclerc made a mistake and lost second position to Perez.

On lap 44 Piastri changed the tires. Sainz overtook Gasly for seventh place. Hamilton is ahead of Gasly.

Top ten in lap 45: Verstappen – Perez – Leclerc – Ocon – Stroll – Russell – Sainz – Alonso – Hamilton – Gasly.

On lap 47, Hulkenberg stopped the car in the safety zone and retired. Hamilton will be ahead of Alonso.

On the 48th lap, Tsunoda stopped the car in the safety zone and retired. Piastri stayed ahead of Gasly in the battle for 10th place.

On the final lap, Ricciardo overtook Zhou for 14th, Leclerc overtook Perez for second and Russell overtook Ocon.

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Max Verstappen won the Las Vegas Grand Prix with his 18th victory of the season and 53rd of his career. Charles Leclerc finished second and Sergio Perez third, taking second place in the individual competition ahead of schedule.

The season will end next week with a stage in Abu Dhabi.

Race results

Best round: Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 1:35.490 (lap 48)

Reasons for the meetings