No surprise, but a surprising double success and world champion title were born at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
George Russell perfectly executed the start, unlike Carlos Sainz and Pierre Gasly, who were overtaken by Charles Leclerc within two corners. Max Verstappen also had a strong start but got caught in traffic, so he could only close in to fourth place. We quickly reached the first pit stop, and Fernando Alonso's soft tire start did not go well, forcing the Spaniard to switch tires as early as the fourth lap. Meanwhile, Sainz reclaimed second position from Leclerc and was about to chase Russell. However, by this time, the Brit had built up enough of a lead that it was clear it would be more than enough to last until the end of the race. Leclerc struggled, and Verstappen easily passed him, as he was fighting not only for a better position but also for his coronation as world champion. Gasly, on the other hand, had nothing left to fight for as his Alpine went up in smoke...
By this time, the entire field had completed their pit stops, the fronts had solidified, and it was clear that two tire changes would be the working strategy. Relevant tire management could only be discussed in the context of the Mercedes team, as everyone else struggled continuously with grip and getting their tires into the operating range. Ultimately, Mercedes won the Las Vegas Grand Prix decisively in the order of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, easily surpassing the Scuderia Ferrari duo of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc.
But perhaps more importantly, Max Verstappen made history by defending his title and becoming world champion for the fourth time behind the wheel of Red Bull Racing.
