Verstappen takes 18th victory of the year and is inspired by Elvis

Inspired by the song “Viva Las Vegas”, by American singer Elvis Presley, Max Verstappen once again reigned on the tracks by winning the Formula 1 Las Vegas GP, in the early hours of this Sunday. With the triumph, he continues to increase his marks. This was the Red Bull driver’s 18th victory this season and the 53rd triumph of his career, making him the third biggest winner in the category, alongside Sebastian Vettel. Still in the car, after crossing the finish line, the Dutchman spoke over the radio to celebrate by shouting: “Viva Las Vegas, Viva Las Vegas”, he shouted.

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, owner of pole, finished second after risking a daring maneuver on the last lap. Third place went to Mexican Sergio Pérez, from Red Bull.

Already the anticipated champion of the season, the Dutchman reached 549 points. Third place in the race earned Sergio Pérez runner-up in Formula 1 in 2023. He reached 273 and opened a 41-point advantage over Lewis Hamilton, who finished the race in seventh.

The last race of the season is scheduled for next weekend. The 22nd race of 2023 will be the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which will be held at the Yas Marina circuit on Sunday.

The GP held in the famous city in the United States was surrounded by pomp even after the end of the race. The top three finishers were taken to the podium by a luxurious limousine. The flag was taken over by singer Justin Bieber.

Excited by the result and the festive atmosphere that enveloped the North American city, Verstappen shouted to his teammates on the way to the podium: “Let’s all go straight to the club.”

To win in Las Vegas, Verstappen needed to have patience and strategy in order to overcome the difficulties that arose during the race. “I really wanted to win. It was a very busy and fun contest. Honestly, there was nothing left,” he said.

After taking the lead shortly after the start, he was punished by the judges for throwing Leclerc off the track and was penalized with five seconds in the pits. He gave up the lead on lap 16 and, with the forced stop, had to make a recovery run as he dropped to 11th place.

Red Bull’s good performance, however, meant that the Dutchman returned to the fight for the podium on lap 33. After overtaking Leclerc, and then overtaking his teammate Sergio Pérez, Verstappen regained the lead on lap 37.

In the race, the most serious accident was a crash by Lando Norris, who went straight into the curve and crashed hard. As a precaution, the English McLaren driver was taken to the University Medical Center to be evaluated.

With victory assured, the final emotions were concentrated in the dispute for second place. After making a childish mistake by missing the corner, Leclerc allowed Pérez to overtake and fell to third place. The change came precisely on the last lap. In a bold move, the Monegasque driver managed to regain his position and secured the second highest place on the podium, beating his Mexican rival.

Leclerc helped Ferrari close the gap to Mercedes in the Constructors’ World Championship. With one race remaining, the Italian team appears in third place and has 388 points against 392 for second place. With the title secured, RBR boasts 822 points.

Check out the final classification of the Las Vegas GP:

1st – Max Verstappen (HOL/RED Bull), in 1h29min07s289

2nd – Charles Leclerc (MON/Ferrari), 2s070

3rd – Sergio Pérez (MEX/Red Bull), 2.070

4th – Esteban Ocon (FRA/Alpine), at 18s665

5th – Lance Stroll (CAN/Aston Martin), at 20s067

6th – Carlos Sainz Jr. (ESP/Ferrari), at 20s834

7th – Lewis Hamilton (ING/Mercedes), at 21s755

8th – George Russell (ING/Mercedes), at 28s091

9th – Fernando Alonso (ESP/Aston Martin), 25s964

10th – Oscar Piastri (AUS/McLaren), at 29s496

11th – Pierre Gasly (FRA/Alpine), at 34s270

12th – Alexander Albon (TAI/Williams), at 43s398

13th – Kevin Magnussen (DIN/Haas), at 44s825

14th – Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/AlphaTauri), at 48s525

15th – Zhou Guanyu (CHN/Alfa Romeo), at 50s162

16th – Logan Sargeant (USA/Williams), at 50s882

17th – Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Alfa Romeo), 1min25s350

Did not complete the test:

Yuki Tsunoda (JAP/AlphaTauri)

Nico Hülkenberg (ALE/Haas)

Lando Norris (ENG/McLaren)