Champion Verstappen steals Las Vegas spotlight despite Mercedes domination; Constructors’ fight heads to the finale
The HinduHe was pushed to the limit this year, often finding himself in unfamiliar territory — the back of the grid. | Photo Credit: Getty Images With a fourth successive WDC crown, Verstappen joins an elite group alongside Juan Manuel Fangio, Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel, and his 2021 rival Lewis Hamilton. The illuminated Las Vegas strip, on a Saturday, had F1 cars zipping past for only the second time, with Mercedes’ George Russell in control throughout. | Photo Credit: Getty Images Verstappen, though, didn’t look his usual aggressive self, even letting cars go by, except for the orange McLaren of Lando Norris — all the Dutchman needed to do was stay ahead of his British counterpart, and he completed the straightforward task without much fuss. With only one no-result race, Ferrari has managed to score an average of 26.9 points combined, compared to McLaren’s 27.8, with five race wins between its two drivers, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.