Autobayng News Team
Max Verstappen claimed his sixth grand prix victory of the season in Las Vegas to keep his slim title hopes alive.
The Red Bull driver passed pole-winner Lando Norris at the start of the race and led him home, cutting the gap between the pair to 42 points.
George Russell finished third after briefly threatening Verstappen for the lead early in the race. He dropped back after the steering problems he experienced in Q3 reappeared, despite his team’s attempts to repair them overnight.
Norris got off the line better than Verstappen at the start but immediately ran wide, letting the Red Bull driver through. Russell also capitalised and held second place until Norris passed him following their pit stops.
McLaren grew concerned about Norris’s fuel consumption over the final laps and told him to reduce his pace. He never looked a threat to Verstappen before then, but his deficit ballooned to 20 seconds at the flag, Russell closing back within three seconds of him.
Oscar Piastri took fourth place after a trying race which started badly when he was hit by Liam Lawson at turn one. He picked his way past Lawson’s team mate Isack Hadjar later in the race and took Carlos Sainz Jnr after pitting. Piastri crosses the finishing line fifth behind Andrea Kimi Antonelli, but the Mercedes driver had a five-second time penalty for a jump start which dropped him behind the McLaren driver.
Antonelli looked on course to finish sixth behind Charles Leclerc until a strong end to the race ensured he was classified in front of the Ferrari driver. Leclerc battled his way forward, passing Piastri at one point before falling back behind the McLaren driver, but out-running Carlos Sainz Jnr for sixth place.
Sainz took seventh ahead of Hadjar. Nico Hulkenberg out-ran Lewis Hamilton for ninth place, the Ferrari driver claiming the final point ahead of the Haas pair.
Updated: Norris and Piastri have been disqualified from the race
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