Max Verstappen takes frantic Las Vegas Grand Prix win ahead of Charles Leclerc
Forty-one years after it was laughed out of town, and at the end of another bruising weekend for the sport, one which has left it open to accusations of negligence and profiteering, Formula One finally put on a half-decent show in Las Vegas.
No prizes for guessing who won the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix, and the first in the city since the Caesars Palace Grand Prix in 1982; Max Verstappen claiming his 18th victory in 21 races this season.
But the world champion had to do it the hard way, penalised for an opening lap incident with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, then fighting his way back from fifth after a couple of safety cars threw everyone’s strategies up in the air.
The Dutch driver, who has been so critical of this event all weekend, could not resist trolling Formula One, even in his moment of victory. “Viva Las Vegas! Viva Las Vegas!” the Dutchman sang over the radio.
CHARLES LECLERC OVERTAKES SERGIO PEREZ ON THE LAST LAP TO TAKE SECOND 😲 pic.twitter.com/eniKsxRZsw
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) November 19, 2023
Behind him, Leclerc and Sergio Perez – both of whom led the race at different points – fought an entertaining battle for second place which went all the way to the final lap, the Ferrari finally edging out the Red Bull thanks to DRS. Perez’s consolation was to tie up second place in the drivers’ championship, with Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, the only man who could have beaten him, now too far back heading to the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi next weekend. It is Red Bull’s first ever one-two in the drivers’ standings.
After all the controversy, the drama over the manhole cover and the fans who were thrown out before any meaningful action got underway on Thursday, the hope was for a decent race to change the narrative. And there was action from the very first corner, with Verstappen in P2 surging up the inside of pole-sitter Leclerc into Turn 1, but collecting a five-second penalty in the process.
Behind them, Fernando Alonso spun his Aston Martin, collecting Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas, while Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton also had contact. They were all able to continue but McLaren’s Lando Norris was not so fortunate after a big crash on lap three, losing the rear and sliding along the barriers backwards at high speed and into the run-off area.
That heralded the first of two safety car periods, with Verstappen having to fight his way back from fifth spot, overtaking Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, Leclerc and Perez to secure his victory.
Hamilton finished seventh but was unfortunate to pick up a puncture, without which he might have been on the podium, while Mercedes team-mate George Russell was eighth after being handed a five-second penalty of his own for causing a collision with Verstappen.
Hamilton was enthusiastic about the race. “For all those who said it was all about ‘show’, Vegas proved them wrong,” said the seven-time world champion.
That quip was aimed squarely at Verstappen, who had described the race as “99 per cent show, 1 per cent sporting event” after Wednesday’s opening ceremony.
After being ferried to the Bellagio in a limousine for the post-race interviews in front of the hotel’s famous fountains the world champion decided to play nice this time. “I think it created quite a good amount of racing here, so it was a lot of fun,” he said with a straight face when asked for his impressions of the track. “I hope everyone enjoyed it a bit. I’m already excited to come back here next year.”
Verstappen wins Vegas thriller – as it happened
08:36 AM GMT
The next race
The next race is the final race of the 2023 season. It is the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix which comes from the Yas Marina Circuit in the United Arab Emirates. That runs next week, from Friday November 24 until Sunday November 26. With track improvements made in recent years the race has been better than it once was. Can anyone else deny Red Bull a record-extending 21st grand prix win this season?
08:19 AM GMT
Hamilton pretty effusive about the Las Vegas Grand Prix
“For all those who said it was all about show, Vegas proved them wrong,” he said.
08:18 AM GMT
Christian Horner speaks to Sky Sports F1
“As a venue to go racing it has been fantastic,” he says. “It’s delivered on track which is what it’s really needed to do. The race today was fantastic,” he adds. I think the way that Vegas has embraced Formula One... is a great thing. Even Max has warmed up to the Vegas Grand Prix.”
08:12 AM GMT
Verstappen spent most of the weekend moaning about the event
Rightly or wrongly. But he was pretty happy with how it went in the race.
"It was a lot of fun out here" 💬
Max Verstappen speaks after winning in Las Vegas, his 18th win this season 😳🗣 pic.twitter.com/5FODYfzcsh— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) November 19, 2023
08:08 AM GMT
Updated constructor standings
Again, winners Red Bull have been confirmed for quite a while, but it’s close between Mercedes and Ferrari for second and between Aston Martin and McLaren for fourth.
08:06 AM GMT
Updated driver standings: Top 10
Perez secures second, Hamilton secures third but there’s plenty of competition for fourth with four drivers within 12 points of one another.
07:57 AM GMT
Almost certainly the race of the year?
There haven’t been many good ones when it concerns the very front of the race. Monaco was pretty good. Singapore had a non-Red Bull win. But I think this leads the way.
07:52 AM GMT
Verstappen speaks after his 53rd Grand Prix win
“It was a tough one. I tried to go for it at the start... I think we both braked quite late and we ran out grip. I had to pass quite a few cars and then the safety car. I had to pass a few cars to get into the battle with then but you could clearly see that he DRS was quite powerful. It was definitely a lot of fun.”
He says the front wing damage didn’t really make much difference. It’s never ideal, there is always a bit of understeer in the car but luckily we could still win the race.
07:50 AM GMT
Charles Leclerc reacts to his second
“What a race, I am of course disappointed to only finish second but at the end it was all we could do. We were really strong overall, that was a really good race. We got a bit unlucky with the safety car, we didn’t pit because we didn’t know what the others would do. We went for track position. I really enjoyed it. I think we needed it... the weekend didn’t’ start the way it had to start but I am so happy it ended that way.”
A good race from him today. Was in contention for the win but just couldn’t quite manage it.
07:44 AM GMT
No cooldown room in Vegas
But there is a cooldown car and it’s easier to hear what they are saying...
The Max Verstappen podcast on wheels! 🎧😂#LasVegasGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/AsbR8PI5JL
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 19, 2023
“Where are we going?” Leclerc says.
“Straight to the nightclub! See you tomorrow everyone!” Verstappen jokes.
07:41 AM GMT
Justin Bieber waved the chequered flag
Of course he did.
LAP 50/50
We've got @justinbieber ready to wave the chequered flag for our drivers! ⭐️#LasVegasGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/HygIQQe4aW— Formula 1 (@F1) November 19, 2023
07:40 AM GMT
Las Vegas Grand Prix - Classification
VER
LEC
PER
OCO
STR
SAI
HAM
RUS
ALO
PIA
GAS
ALB
MAG
RIC
ZHO
SAR
BOT
DNF: TSU, HUL, NOR
07:37 AM GMT
MAX VERSTAPPEN WINS THE 2023 LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX
Deserved? Leclerc drove a superb race and probably was the driver of the day but was hampered by the SC. Nevertheless races on street circuits can be like this. And he did take a five-second penalty earlier on, too. Anyway, it’s 18 race wins for Verstappen but this was a brilliant race where Red Bull where challenged and perhaps their victory was even a little lucky. Not too many complaints.
“I wanted that win so bad. But honestly, what a race... just nothing left. Argh!” is what Leclerc says on the radio.
07:34 AM GMT
FINAL LAP
“I’ll try,” is Verstappen’s response. Leclerc has DRS down the long straight... can he do it? Will he try it? Yes and yes! Up the inside at turn 14 and Leclerc breaks the Red Bull 1-2!
CHARLES LECLERC OVERTAKES SERGIO PEREZ ON THE LAST LAP TO TAKE SECOND 😲 pic.twitter.com/eniKsxRZsw
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) November 19, 2023
07:33 AM GMT
Lap 49 of 50 - Russell would drop down to ninth with his five-second penalty
Though that is not guaranteed. Will Leclerc get a go at Perez by the end of the lap? Or the race? Verstappen has been told, or rather it has been requested that he gives his team-mate in second a distant tow to help him in his defence against Leclerc.
07:31 AM GMT
Lap 48 of 50 - Leclerc has closed in on Perez
In fact, he is within DRS range again. Two late retirements as Hulkenberg and Tsunoda pull off the track and leave the race.
07:30 AM GMT
Lap 47 of 50 - Piastri on a charge
He is now only 2.5sec behind Gasly - that was more than eight seconds a few laps ago.
Verstappen leads Perez by 4.5sec and has this race sewn up and in a bag. In a sewn-up bag?
07:29 AM GMT
Lap 46 of 50 - This has been a really good race
From lap one, in fact. The track is unusual and has very low grip in cold conditions which has made a difference. I am not sure the Red Bull was ultimately the fastest car here but they were fortunate with how the Safety Car panned out earlier on and that really took Leclerc out of the equation.
07:26 AM GMT
Lap 45 of 50 - Gasly is going backwards through the order
He is now 10th, but Piastri directly behind him is eight seconds further back though on fresher tyres. Not impossible that Piastri gets that point.
07:24 AM GMT
Lap 44 of 50 - Updated top 10
VER
PER
LEC
OCO
STR
RUS
SAI
GAS
ALO
HAM
Russell also has a five-second penalty to serve, which would drop him out of the points and behind his team-mate. Toto olff tells him he’s still in the hunt for P4, though, which I am not sure is correct.
07:24 AM GMT
Lap 43 of 50 - Leclerc is unhappy
CL: “My tyres are f— gone.”
Race engineer: “Understood. Overall, you are doing a good job, continue like this.”
CL: “I don’t care that I’m doing a good job.”
He’s about to become even more unhappy as he outbrakes himself, running wide and nearly clipping the wall and Sergio Perez gets second place as easy as you like.
Piastri pits from fourth, which he needed to do. Had forgotten about that necessary stop. He will now drop out of the points.
07:21 AM GMT
Lap 42 of 50 - Stroll having a quiet but good afternoon
He’s currently in sixth and closing in on Ocon in fifth. Piastri doing a good job in fourth, too, with around three seconds to Ocon behind.
07:20 AM GMT
Lap 41 of 50 - Albon has slipped out of the points
He lost several positions in the space of a few corners on the previous lap. Verstappen has been told to protect his front-right tyre but I doubt it is at all that critical as Leclerc slips further back from the lead.
07:19 AM GMT
Lando Norris update
After his accident earlier in the race Lando Norris was transferred to the circuit Medical Centre and has now been taken to University Medical Center for further precautionary investigations#F1 #LasVegasGP
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 19, 2023
07:18 AM GMT
Lap 40 of 50 - Leclerc has slipped outside DRS range, just about
Perez in third behind has DRS on Leclerc, though.
10 laps to go.
07:18 AM GMT
Lap 39 of 50 - Verstappen leads Leclerc by one second
Still quite tight up front with all three within or around DRS range of one another but you just feel that Verstappen is going to control the race now, though he has been told to work hard to break the tow of Leclerc behind.
That said, this is what happened early on in the race when Leclerc would not disappear from behind his rear wing and then took the lead. The difference then is that they had tyres of the same compound and age. Leclerc has hard tyres which are seven laps older...
07:15 AM GMT
Lap 38 of 50 - Top 10 and gaps
VER
LEC +0.6
PER +1.1
PIA +3.9
OCO +7.0
GAS +7.7
STR +9.9
ALB +12.1
RUS 12.5
SAI +12.8
07:14 AM GMT
Lap 37 of 50 - Verstappen takes the lead!
A big tow from the Red Bull into turn 14... under braking he looks like he has the move done and dusted... but Leclerc then edges back ahead but he doesn’t elect to turn in on him and the order is again Verstappen-Leclerc-Perez...
Max Verstappen gets the move to stick and now he leads the Las Vegas Grand Prix! 😲 pic.twitter.com/s0xXxbkiWO
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) November 19, 2023
07:11 AM GMT
Lap 36 of 50 - Perez just left the door wide open at turn 14
And Leclerc obliged. He almost turned in on him. That is poor racecraft and awareness from Perez. And now he has to worry about team-mate Verstappen behind him, though not for long as he breezes past on the straight into turn 14.
LAP 36/50
VERSTAPPEN PASSES PEREZ FOR P2!
Next up on the road? Charles Leclerc in P1 👀😅#LasVegasGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/d74Dufpvuj— Formula 1 (@F1) November 19, 2023
07:09 AM GMT
Lap 35 of 50 - Leclerc has not let Perez get away
Verstappen is probably the man to beat here, though - he’s the fastest man on track currently and is nearly within DRS range of Leclerc. It’s a Ferrari sandwich with the Red Bull as the bread.
But Leclerc retakes the lead at the end of the lap! He went up the inside and was later on the brakes... was Perez asleep there?! I think so...
LAP 36/50
LECLERC TAKES THE LEAD OFF PEREZ! 🤯#LasVegasGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/3BKIpoXCAH— Formula 1 (@F1) November 19, 2023
07:08 AM GMT
Lap 34 of 50 - Top 10
PER
LEC
VER
PIA
OCO
GAS
ALB
STR
RUS
SAI
07:07 AM GMT
Lap 33 of 50 - Verstappen now up into third
This is going to be a comfortable Red Bull 1-2 isn’t it?
07:06 AM GMT
Lap 32 of 50 - Perez takes the lead!
It was only a matter of time really! He gets Leclerc at turn 14 with the aid of DRS. Decent move. Verstappen now has Gasly for fourth and is inching himself back into contention. Bad luck for Leclerc.
Who knows, though, that might not be the last SC period of the race.
07:05 AM GMT
Lap 31 of 50 - Still no luck for Perez
Piastri is closing them down now, though. Actually, scrap what I was saying earlier about the tyres. Very few drivers have to stop again, most started on the mediums and are now on the hard tyres. Doesn’t meant they won’t though...
07:03 AM GMT
Lap 30 of 50 - Will this be the lap Perez takes the lead?
He could really do with a win after a trying season. That SC came at a very good time for Perez and a very bad time for Leclerc. Has it cost him this race? Too early to say but it certainly hasn’t helped. Verstappen is all over the back of Gasly too as he tries to get the Alpine for fourth place and get himself back into contention for the race.
LAP 30/50
Sergio Perez is honing in on Charles Leclerc for P1
Less than 1 second separates the pair! 👀#LasVegasGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/sWbzTkdFDl— Formula 1 (@F1) November 19, 2023
07:01 AM GMT
Lap 29 of 50 - Perez is all over the back of Leclerc
No DRS just yet though when it does come in it may be a formality. Both cars need to stop again.
07:00 AM GMT
Lap 28 of 50 - Race restarts!
Confirmation that Russell gets a five-second penalty for that incident, which I think is fair.
Leclerc keeps the lead as Perez comes under pressure from the Alpine of Gasly behind him. But then Gasly comes under pressure from Piastri at turn five and the McLaren goes up the inside and takes third place! Great move. Bold and caught Gasly napping.
Leclerc has built a moderate lead already in the first sector or so but Perez then closes it down.
Verstappen, in fifth, has been noted for an unsafe release.
06:57 AM GMT
Lap 28 of 50 - Full order under SC
LEC
PER
GAS
PIA
VER
OCO
STR
ALB
RUS
SAI
SAR
ALO
ZHO
MAG
RIC
HUL
HAM
BOT
TSU
OUT: NOR
The pack will be bunched up here. Perez has fresher tyres than Leclerc, albeit not by an absolutely enormous amount. No idea how this will pan out. The SC is coming in at the end of this lap and the incident between Russell and Verstappen has been noted. Leclerc also nearly loses it under the SC...
06:54 AM GMT
Lap 27 of 50 - Safety Car comes out
In comes Verstappen too. Does this throw the cat among the pigeons as it were? Probably. Perez went onto the hard tyres so will not be able to one-stop. He does have a set of soft tyres available, though. Ferrari decide not to pit Leclerc. Right, let’s see where this shakes out. I don’t think this is going to be good news for Ferrari, though, whatever...
06:53 AM GMT
Lap 26 of 50 - Actually, I think Russell takes most of the blame for that
Verstappen wasn’t exactly ahead but he was significant alongside and up the inside. I am not sure whether Russell didn’t see Verstappen and just turned in on him, not expecting him to be there.
The debris at turn 11 has meant a full Safety Car is called! That works out well for Perez, who gets a very cheap pit stop!
06:52 AM GMT
Lap 25 of 50 - Russell and Verstappen collide!
Verstappen sends it up the inside of Russell at turn 11 and they collide! Bits of the side of the Mercedes come off, I think, as well as the end plate to the Red Bull! More drama! Will that cost Verstappen much?
CONTACT BETWEEN VERSTAPPEN & RUSSELL 😯
Max dives Russell on the inside and gets into P4, but has DAMAGED his front-wing in doing so 😳👇 pic.twitter.com/czv45XYvUV— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) November 19, 2023
“Mate he just turns in on me... check my tyre, front wing!” Verstappen says. I think that was a bit foolhardy from Verstappen in all honesty. Need to see it again.
06:50 AM GMT
Lap 24 of 50 - Sainz attacks Russell
With Verstappen right behind them both! Russell gets the place for fourth and then Sainz loses two places in quick succession as Verstappen picks up a double tow on the long straight and moves himself up into fifth as he sets about chasing Russell.
06:48 AM GMT
Lap 23 of 50 - Will it be two-stop for Verstappen?
And one for Leclerc? It looks like that could be the way. It is almost certainly going to be an attempted one-stop strategy for Perez, who leads Stroll by four seconds. Meanwhile, every single car on track is on hard tyres but Hamilton in 17th who is on mediums.
06:46 AM GMT
Lap 22 of 50 - Perez will inherit the lead
But how big will the gap be between the two men who started on the front row? Six seconds? Seven seconds? Leclerc pits and comes out in third behind Perez in the lead and Stroll, in second. Stroll has stopped but did it fairly early on, so isn’t really in sync with the leaders.
Verstappen trails Leclerc by about four seconds, albeit with Sainz, Russell and Alonso between them.
06:44 AM GMT
Lap 21 of 50 - Top 10 and gaps
LEC
PER +13.7
OCO +18.3
STR +20.0
SAI +23.0
ALO +25.1
RUS +26.3
VER +28.6
ZHO +29.4
GAS +35.1
The only men not to stop in that list above are: Leclerc, Ocon and Zhou. Leclerc coming in at the end of this lap.
06:42 AM GMT
Lap 20 of 50 - This is a better view of the Hamilton/Piastri incident
Contact between Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri! 😲 pic.twitter.com/BR2H2eYZ9L
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) November 19, 2023
Verstappen struggling to overtake Zhou Guanyu but he gets it down at high speed around turn 11. He’s lost a fair bit of time to the leaders.
06:41 AM GMT
Lap 19 of 50 - Leclerc leads Perez by 14.5sec
I think Perez would have track position over Verstappen were he to stop now. Looks like Piastri had a puncture as well from that incident with Hamilton.
This has been a frantic, and good, race so far.
06:39 AM GMT
Lap 18 of 50 - Incident between Piastri and Hamilton has been noted
It didn’t look like a big hit, side to side on the tyres more than anything else but both cars appear to have picked up damage from that.
LAP 17/50
Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri make contact!
The Mercedes driver picks up a puncture and Piastri damage to his car #LasVegasGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/SDDg5T5tfi— Formula 1 (@F1) November 19, 2023
06:38 AM GMT
Lap 17 of 50 - Hamilton says "car's not stopping"
Not what you want. He has dropped all the way down to 10th now. Leclerc now leads Gasly, Ocon and Perez as the pit stops came thick and fast.
06:37 AM GMT
Lap 16 of 50 - Leclerc RIGHT on the back of Verstappen now
Surely this is only a matter of time.
“My tyres are going to get really f—, mate,” Verstappen says on the radio and he is pulled into the pit lane... but not before he loses the lead to Leclerc! Leclerc continues.
LECLERC RETAKES THE LEAD! ⚡🔴
Charles Leclerc who lost the lead on the opening lap, is back in front on lap 16! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/9yN8zuzqX8— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) November 19, 2023
There was probably enough time for Ferrari to bring Leclerc in to respond to Verstappen. If Verstappen does set quick laps on his new tyres the five-second time penalty gives Ferrari a bit of a window to lessen the effects of the undercut.
Hamilton has a puncture after colliding with Piastri when overtaking and Piastri appears to have had an issue with the bottom of his car, sparks flying everywhere. He came into the pits on the last lap...
06:34 AM GMT
Lap 15 of 50 - Verstappen now not even a second ahead of Leclerc
Leclerc will have DRS now when he next gets to a DRS zone. Russell is coming into the pits from third. Will that set off a chain reaction?
06:33 AM GMT
Lap 14 of 50 - Ocon gets Sargeant for sixth
Sargeant runs wide and surrenders that position. He has a gaggle of cars right behind him. I think a points finish might be a struggle for the American today. Albon perhaps has a bit more pace. Sargeant has now dropped back to eighth and that will soon be ninth once Lewis Hamilton gets him at the start of the next lap...
The pit window is opening...
06:31 AM GMT
Lap 13 of 50 - Leclerc holding his own in second
Sainz is told he needs to stop the car? “We need action to cool the car,” he is told initially. Ah, it’s otherwise they have to stop the car. Anyway, the Spaniard gets Ricciardo for 15th. The Haas cars, who ran in the top 10 earlier on, are now dropping back. Magnussen is in 10th and Hulkenberg in 13th.
06:28 AM GMT
Lap 12 of 50 - Verstappen hasn't massively extended his lead
The gap is down to 1.7sec...
Leclerc also complained about Verstappen backing him right up under the VSC or possibly the SC, once it had gone in...
06:27 AM GMT
Lap 11 of 50 - Watch: Norris crashes out
LANDO NORRIS CRASHES OUT! 😯
Lando loses the back end of the car and hits the wall, a safety car has been deployed 👇 pic.twitter.com/z3Sscej6fs— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) November 19, 2023
06:26 AM GMT
Lap 10 of 50 - Top 10 and gaps
VER
LEC +2.1
RUS +3.3
GAS +4.1
ALB +5.6
SAR +6.4
OCO +8.6
MAG +10.5
PIA +11.0
HUL +12.0
06:24 AM GMT
Lap 9 of 50 - DRS now enabled
Verstappen edges his lead out to just a tad over 2.5sec. He has been told to keep extending the gap to five seconds.
“That’s fine. Send them my regards,” he tells his race engineer on the radio. He means the stewards.
06:22 AM GMT
Lap 8 of 50 - Verstappen gets five-second time penalty!
That is for forcing Leclerc off track at turn one. He’s currently 2.1sec ahead of Leclerc and may well be five seconds ahead in short order...
Hamilton, meanwhile, gets Tsunoda for 11th at the start of the lap.
06:21 AM GMT
Lap 7 of 50 - Verstappen leads Leclerc by 1.7s
No real danger of the Red Bull losing his lead there. He then sets the fastest lap of the race on the first racing lap after the Safety Car. Hamilton and Tsunoda get close at the end of the lap...
06:19 AM GMT
Lap 6 of 50 - Safety Car in this lap
We will get racing again. Meanwhile, Leclerc has been told that the lap one, turn one incident is with the stewards.
Russell has said this is “like driving in the wet”.
Verstappen is told, the situation with Leclerc is with the stewards and that they will not reverse on positions and that it will be “left with him.” I can’t see him voluntarily handing it back, can you?
06:18 AM GMT
Lap 5 of 50 - Hamilton not happy about tyre temperatures
Understandable. It’s relatively cold out there and drivers always complain about this under the SC.
06:15 AM GMT
Watch: Leclerc/Verstappen incident at turn one
'It is a joke if he keeps the position' 😡
Charles Leclerc is NOT happy! 📻 pic.twitter.com/ptJ0OMSVTE— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) November 19, 2023
“It is a joke if he keeps the position,” he says.
06:14 AM GMT
Lap 4 of 50 - It's a strange incident for Norris
He loses the rear end at the high-speed kink, crashing into the barriers at that point and then it just slides along the barriers at high speed and into the run-off area. A pretty scary crash but he’s ok.
Apparently he sounded “winded” on the radio. He had worked his way up the order a bit.
Anyway, here is the top 10 under the SC:
VER
LEC
RUS
GAS
ALB
SAR
OCO
MAG
HUL
TSU
Hamilton in 12th, Perez 16th, Sainz 17th, Alonso 18th.
06:12 AM GMT
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06:10 AM GMT
Lap 3 of 50 - There's someone in the barriers!
It’s Lando Norris in the barriers! It’s a full Safety Car...
LAP 4/50
⚠️ SAFETY CAR ⚠️
Norris is out of the race and in the barriers, he jumps on the radio to say "I'm okay" #LasVegasGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/hYjo1rkUAR— Formula 1 (@F1) November 19, 2023
06:09 AM GMT
Lap 2 of 50 - Verstappen leads Leclerc as the VSC ends
Leclerc, understandably, not happy about that turn one incident.
06:08 AM GMT
THE 2023 LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX IS GO!
As we saw recently, it’s a much better start for Verstappen! He has the inside line and takes the lead at turn one but the Dutchman looks to run Leclerc wide and off the road! It almost presents an opportunity for Russell to take the lead but he doesn’t quite have the grip. Leclerc keeps second, too... did he run him wide or was it the lack of grip?
Hamilton and Alonso have made contact with each other? And Bottas is facing the wrong way after spinning...
Chaos on the opening lap in Las Vegas as Max Verstappen takes the lead! 😲 pic.twitter.com/UckIZJzdwM
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) November 19, 2023
A Virtual Safety Car is called at the end of the first lap... some debris at turn one. Alonso has damage. Sainz was possibly involved, too.
06:04 AM GMT
They line up on the grid
Nobody starting from the pit lane today. Let’s get this done...
06:02 AM GMT
Here we go...
The formation lap is under way.
🟢 FORMATION LAP 🟢
Off the cars head for a final lap prior to lights out 👊#LasVegasGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/pCBLAeJPO1— Formula 1 (@F1) November 19, 2023
Most of the cars starting on the medium. Hamilton on the hards, as is Zhou Guanyu and the final row of the grid (Stroll and Tsunoda) are on softs.
05:59 AM GMT
Tom Cary has just got off that very packed grid
Predictably rammed on the grid, but managed to grab a word with a senior Red Bull engineer who told me there’s some concern about George at the start due to Max now being on the dirty side of grid after Sainz’s grid drop. But thereafter it will all be about tyre deg Red Bull obviously been so strong in that area all year.
05:57 AM GMT
Spot the F1 car...
The #LasVegasGP grid. Twenty cars in there somewhere! pic.twitter.com/M4Wn3SILRy
— Philip Duncan (@PhilDuncanF1) November 19, 2023
Anyway, we are nearly ready to go. Predictions? Leclerc has been on form all weekend but his last 11 poles have not resulted in a single victory. Ferrari have tended to have a good car over one lap but that has struggled over race distances. Will that be the same today? It’s a pretty strange race track, this one.
05:51 AM GMT
Zlatan in sparkling form
"Ferrari is my team, I drive several of them" 😂
Zlatan Ibrahimovic 🤝 Martin Brundle pic.twitter.com/erYSVipk4X— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) November 19, 2023
05:48 AM GMT
Lando Norris has described the track conditions as "pretty dreadful"
Says it’s the coldest it’s been all week but that the track should come to the cars throughout the race. Pretty dreadful day for McLaren yesterday as far as it goes, probably their worst since near the start of the season when they were regularly missing out on not just Q3 but Q2.
05:45 AM GMT
Starting grid
2. VER 1. LEC
4. GAS 3. RUS
6. SAR 5. ALB
8. MAG 7. BOT
10. HAM 9. ALO
12. SAI 11. PER
14. RIC 13. HUL
16. OCO 15. NOR
18. PIA 17. ZHO
20. TSU 19. STR
05:43 AM GMT
Possible driver strategies
One or two stops? Either are possible strategies for the #LasVegasGP 🧮 #Fit4F1 #F1 pic.twitter.com/EyYiiUsexX
— Pirelli Motorsport (@pirellisport) November 18, 2023
05:32 AM GMT
Current driver standings
Max Verstappen has had it sewn up for quite a while but a few of the lesser positions to fight for. Not Lewis Hamilton will be too bothered about finishing second ahead of Sergio Perez. It’s about two years since he last won a race. Will 2024 be any different for him? It’s been a pretty mediocre couple of seasons for his Mercedes team.
05:31 AM GMT
Current constructor standings
05:26 AM GMT
A superb qualifying session for Williams yesterday
Sixth and seventh in the session which becomes fifth and sixth on the grid after Carlos Sainz’s (unfair) penalty. They are currently seventh in the standings and, if they finish there, it would be their best result for several years. They have a resurgent AlphaTauri (who have scored 16 points in the last three rounds), so a decent haul of points today would be a great help to securing that.
05:19 AM GMT
Sergio Perez was out in Q2 yesterday
That is nine times that he has failed to make Q3, which is pretty poor. Okay, even Max Verstappen has struggled to take pole in the recent months but going by the championship results since Silverstone, it is not pretty reading for a man driving one of the most dominant cars of all time.
Verstappen, 329pts
Norris, 183pts
Perez, 132pts
Sainz, 124pts
Hamilton, 124pts
Leclerc, 116pts
Russell, 91pts
Alonso, 81pts
05:14 AM GMT
Watch: Charles Leclerc analysis his pole lap
"I'm not happy with the lap we are going to see anyways" 😅
Charles breaks down his Las Vegas Grand Prix pole lap with @karunchandhok at the Sky Pad 📺 pic.twitter.com/BA66f13pB0— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) November 18, 2023
The pit lane is now open, with just over 45 minutes until the formation lap begins.
05:12 AM GMT
NEWS: Formula One hit with lawsuit on behalf of 35,000 furious fans over Las Vegas GP farce
A class action lawsuit has been filed against the Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix as the fallout from Thursday night’s lost track action continues.The suit, filed by Dimopoulos Law Firm and co-counsel JK Legal & Consulting in Nevada District Court on behalf of 35,000 fans, alleges breach of contract, negligence and deceptive trade practices.Formula One came in for renewed criticism on Friday after refusing to apologise or issue refunds to disgruntled fans who witnessed just eight minutes of track action on a farcical opening day.
Read more on the latest from Tom Cary here.
05:07 AM GMT
Another Vegas mishap this morning...
⚠ Oscar Piastri's track parade car has leaked oil on the main straight, a clean-up operation is taking place ⚠ pic.twitter.com/I7fHaauhej
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) November 19, 2023
04:57 AM GMT
Times after qualifying
Charles Leclerc (Mon) Ferrari 1min 32.726secs
Carlos Sainz Jr. (Spa) Ferrari 1:32.770
Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull 1:33.104
George Russell (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1:33.112
Pierre Gasly (Fra) Alpine 1:33.239
Alexander Albon (Tha) Williams 1:33.323
Logan Sargeant ((USA)) Williams 1:33.513
Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Alfa Romeo Racing 1:33.525
Kevin Magnussen (Den) Haas F1 Team 1:33.537
Fernando Alonso (Spa) Aston Martin 1:33.555
Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1:33.837
Sergio Perez (Mex) Red Bull 1:33.855
Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Haas F1 Team 1:33.979
Lance Stroll (Can) Aston Martin 1:34.199
Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) Scuderia AlphaTauri 1:34.308
Lando Norris (Gbr) McLaren1:34.703
Esteban Ocon (Fra) Alpine 1:34.834
Guanyu Zhou (Chn) Alfa Romeo Racing 1:34.849
Oscar Piastri (Aus) McLaren1:34.850
Yuki Tsunoda (Jpn) Scuderia AlphaTauri 1:36.447
04:56 AM GMT
Qualifying recap
Charles Leclerc was the man to beat in yesterday’s qualifying session (although it actually took place on the same day in Vegas), even if he failed to get in a satisfactory lap (according to him) on his final run in Q3.
He pipped his team-mate to pole, though Carlos Sainz will start down in 12th due to a 10-plae grid drop (more on that shortly). It was a strange spread of cars, with eight cars in the top 10. Neither McLaren made it out of Q1, whilst Williams had both of their cars in the top seven. Only one Mercedes and one Red Bull made it into the top 10.
Whether Ferrari’s prowess can continue over the course of a race we are yet to find out. That said, the only race they won this year has been another night race on a street track in Singapore, so that is something. It should be a bit easier for Verstappen - who starts second - to overtake here. Who knows, he may even get it done off the line and into turn one.
04:43 AM GMT
Good morning F1 fans
Welcome to our coverage for the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix. It is, technically, the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix, though it is not the first grand prix in Las Vegas. In 1981 and 1982 there was the Caesars Palace Grand Prix which took place on a flat and uninspiring track that took over the car park for the famous Vegas hotel.
The signs and hopes were that Formula One had learned the lessons from that, investing huge money, resources and effort into what will be at least a decade of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, including a £327-million permanent pit building.
It did not go to plan earlier in the week, with the first practice session abandoned after just nine minutes and the second run to empty grandstands in the small hours of Friday morning. So much for the greatest show on earth.
Things have improved a little since then, though there are still questions over the organisers (F1, this time, rather than a separate promoter) and their treatment of the fans who were locked out of the 90-minute FP2 session. And questions over whether this is all worth it.
Those watching at home will probably find it difficult to differentiate from other street tracks which have races at night, like Singapore or in particular Jeddah. It’s only the wide shots where you get an actual feel of the track’s location. And the track itself? Okay, we haven’t raced on it yet but it has not been an instant hit with the drivers.
It has been refreshing to hear Max Verstappen speak his mind on the state of the “spectacle” in Nevada this weekend, and I am sure he speaks for many F1 fans across the world. Still, let’s give the race (if nothing else) a chance. Qualifying (a bit more on that in a moment) was certainly interesting, setting the race up (potentially nicely).
The race starts at 6am GMT so we’ve got just over an hour and a quarter until things are due to get under way.