Max Verstappen reignited his championship push under the Vegas lights, converting a blistering launch into a commanding victory.
His fast getaway forced polesitter Lando Norris into a desperate defence into Turn 1, only for the McLaren driver to overcook the brakes and run wide. Verstappen swept into the lead while Norris slipped to third, also losing out to a fast-starting George Russell, who had already muscled past Carlos Sainz.
Russell briefly threatened Verstappen in the opening laps, sitting within striking distance as the field settled. But once the Red Bull driver broke the DRS tow, he steadily rebuilt a healthy advantage. Russell’s pace faded, inviting Norris back into contention, yet Mercedes pre-empted the threat by pitting Russell early for hard tyres in an attempted undercut.
Results to follow...
The strategy bought Russell a short window to close on Verstappen after the Red Bull stop, but it was fleeting. Verstappen rejoined just over a second ahead and immediately reasserted control with fresher rubber.
Norris Clears Russell, but Verstappen Responds
Freed from tyre concerns, Verstappen powered away while Russell began to drift back into Norris’ grasp. On lap 34, Norris executed a clean move at Turn 14 to reclaim second, with Russell opting not to risk his podium amid lingering steering issues.
McLaren urged Norris to chase Verstappen, but Red Bull kept their driver fully informed. Verstappen responded with a string of rapid laps, snuffing out any hint of a late challenge.
Norris’ push faded dramatically in the closing laps as fuel saving cost him roughly 14 seconds, though he still held second comfortably over Russell.
Antonelli’s Marathon Run and Penalty
George Russell’s podium was further protected by an unlikely ally: Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Starting 17th, the Mercedes rookie pitted early to abandon his softs, then ground out an enormous 48-lap stint on hards.
He briefly rose to fourth before a five-second penalty for a marginal jump start dropped him to fifth at the flag.
Oscar Piastri inherited fourth, limiting championship damage but now trailing teammate Norris by 32 points. The Aussie fended off Charles Leclerc through the second half of the race, both shadowing Antonelli until the pit cycles reshuffled the order.
Points Finishers
Carlos Sainz secured seventh, with Isack Hadjar close behind in eighth – both converting strong qualifying runs into valuable points for their teams.
Nico Hülkenberg claimed ninth, while Lewis Hamilton completed the top ten after climbing from 19th on the grid. Hamilton survived lap-13 contact with Alex Albon and mounted a steady recovery drive to salvage a point.
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