World champion Max Verstappen claimed the 18th win of his record-breaking season, overcoming a five-second penalty to power to victory in a thrilling Las Vegas Grand Prix on Saturday night.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc overtook Red Bull’s Sergio Perez on the last lap to grab second place ahead of the Mexican, with French driver Esteban Ocon of Alpine finishing fourth at the end of a race which saw multiple lead changes and plenty of overtaking.
Verstappen had been highly critical of the return of Formula One to Vegas after a 41-year absence, saying the event was “99 percent show,” but as he drove past the finish line he celebrated with a chorus of Viva Las Vegas on the team radio.
Photo: AFP
“He loves a race like that. Even though he was on the end of a penalty. When he came back … the way he fought. I think he changed his mind about Vegas,” Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said.
The show was certainly evident with the prerace grid packed with a host of celebrities from the worlds of music, sports and entertainment as memories of the embarrassment of the opening practice session on Thursday being stopped early due to a loose water valve on the track, faded.
When the race was under way, the low grip on the track made sure there was no shortage of incident as the night race delivered the entertainment the US promotors had craved from the new event.
The Dutchman won by 2.070 seconds over Leclerc, but had to work for his victory in what was the latest starting race in F1 history
“It was a tough one. I tried to go for it at the start. We both braked quite late and I just ran out of grip, so we ended up a bit wide,” Verstappen said.
“The stewards gave me a penalty for that and it put us on the back foot. I had to pass quite a few cars and there was the safety car, so at that point there was a lot going on,” he said, adding that the race as a whole was “a lot of fun.”
The triple world champion, starting second on the grid, grabbed the lead in the first turn of the opening lap but was penalized five seconds for pushing Leclerc wide.
The tricky surface was noticeable when McLaren’s Lando Norris crashed out, spinning into the barrier on turn 14 of the fourth lap. The British driver was taken to hospital for precautionary tests.
Ferrari’s Monegasque driver Leclerc kept in close touch though and was able to get the lead back, overtaking Verstappen on lap 16.
The Dutchman had to serve his penalty in the pit, leaving him plenty of work to do to regain his lead and when Leclerc went into the pits on lap 22, Perez took over at the front.
Mercedes’ George Russell made contact with Verstappen, clipping his front wing, an incident which resulted in a five second penalty for the British driver who crossed the line fourth, but ended in eighth place.
Leclerc and Perez jousted for the lead, but Verstappen was ominously gaining ground, and after he passed Perez he then made his decisive move on lap 37.
From then on, Verstappen never looked back, Leclerc slipping into third spot after he out-braked himself and allowed Perez to fly by.
Yet there was one more twist in the tale as Leclerc brilliantly moved past Perez to grab second place.
“What a race. I enjoyed it so much. I’m of course disappointed to only finish second, but that’s the best we could do,” Leclerc said.
“And we needed it. The weekend didn’t start the way we wanted it to start, but I am so happy it ended that way. It’s such an incredible sport. The energy around the city is incredible and I at least really enjoyed today,” he said.
Manchester City have reached do-or-die territory in the UEFA Champions League earlier than expected ahead of what Pep Guardiola has described as a “final” against Club Brugge today. City have disproved the suggestion a new format to Europe’s top club competition would remove any jeopardy for the top clubs as Guardiola stares down the barrel of failing to make the Champions League knockout stages for the first time in his career. The English champions have endured a torrid season both in their English Premier League title defense and on the continent. A run of one win in 13 games, which included Champions League
Sumo is walking a “tightrope” as it prepares to stage events outside Japan for the first time in 20 years while also trying to preserve its ancient traditions, experts say. The sport is to hold exhibition tournaments in London in October and in Paris in June next year, the first time the Japan Sumo Association has been abroad since Las Vegas in 2005. Sports such as soccer, baseball and football play domestic games overseas in a bid to gain new fans in emerging markets. John Gunning, a former amateur sumo wrestler who commentates on the sport in English on Japanese television, says its
Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Sunday poured in 35 points as the Thunder grabbed a bounce-back 118-108 victory in Portland to push their NBA-best record to 37-8. The Thunder, surprised by the short-handed Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, fended off a late surge from the Trail Blazers to snap their four-game winning streak. Jalen Williams scored 24 points and Isaiah Joe added 16 off the bench. Center Isaiah Hartenstein, back after a five-game absence with a calf injury, added 14 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and a big block. The Western Conference leaders were under pressure late as Portland, trailing by 15 heading
The Golden State Warriors on Wednesday withstood Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 52-point outburst to beat the Western Conference leading Thunder 116-109. Andrew Wiggins scored 27 points and Warriors superstar Stephen Curry scored 17 of his 21 points in the second half as Golden State erased a double-digit deficit and pulled away late for the victory. “We just stayed solid,” said Curry, who entered the contest mired in a shooting slump and had just four points on one basket in the first half. “Just all-around effort.” The Thunder, fueled by 31 first-half points from Gilgeous-Alexander, led by as many as 14 in the
RSS