Verstappen resurfaced amid the chaos of the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix and won a race he had previously lost

F1 wanted to put on a show Las Vegas To continue growing in the American market. And he had it. The weekend didn’t start well, with residents evacuated before dawn due to inadequate sewage systems. sin city, is a worldwide ridicule. However, this Sunday’s race accomplished its intended purpose and put smiles on everyone’s faces. freedom Average after investment 500 million in this event.

F1 2023 Las Vegas GP Results

F1 world classification

This race was everything Americans like, an emotion-filled chaos achieved through completely artificial means, and should have mattered little to the locals. He could put 20 F1 cars on the ice rink and the show would be a frenzy. They do not go as fast as possible or go far from it, but the driver suffers behind the wheel, there is always a risk of a collision or an accident, as well as a dance and uncertainty of position. Masu. it was. Max Verstappen beat Leclerc (2nd) and Perez (3rd). Yes, it’s the usual one. But this Sunday’s victory had nothing to do with previous victories. The Dutchman seemed to have lost the race. But nothing can be taken for granted in Las Vegas. And even more so against the three-time world champion and reigning champion of “The Great Circus.” Like the good guys in movies, he always reappears in the end.

It was Max’s 18th win out of 21 this year, and he can continue to do so if he wins 19 out of 22 in Abu Dhabi next weekend. This Sunday, the Dutchman equaled Sebastian Vettel’s 53 wins to become the third most winning driver in history. And he’s only 26 years old.

chaotic exit

The start of the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix was a clear example of how difficult the day was for the drivers. As happened on Saturday, the track had lost all of the previous day’s rubber since it opened in the morning. In addition to being cold, the asphalt lacked grip. It was ice. And Turn 1 promised a strong impression. In this context, VElstappen got off to a great start and overtook Leclerc, who was defending pole on the inside of Turn 1. Due to lack of grip, Max went too wide in Turn 1 and threw Charles out. It appears that the Monaco player would not have been able to turn that curve without Max, but he insisted that he went too far because the world champion made him do it. Verstappen was in the lead after the first safety car, but received a five-second penalty.

Max had everything against him.

In another race, the penalty would have meant nothing to Max. He would have pushed, pulled away easily and won with a penalty in the pits. However, in the game city, Max was having difficulties. No advantage like in other races, Ferrari was much stronger than on other days due to speed on the straights and good management of ‘graining’ With medium rubber (a type of rubber deterioration). Something strange happened on the 16th lap. Leclerc, in his Ferrari, overtook the Dutchman on track, who was struggling with his tyres. Max stopped in the pits and had to try again in traffic. Leaving the course in 11th placebut has already played a sanction of 5 inches.

An important ace in the hands of a champion

It looked like the turnaround would be anything but easy, especially this time as Ferrari were such strong rivals and had a car up to the task. Verstappen seemed to be having a really hard time.. He left very few tips on the table as Charles kept almost all the tips. It took a lot of luck. It changed his day and gave him an opportunity.

You might call it the luck of the champions, but at a course like Las Vegas, it’s only natural that something would happen. A driver’s mistake can cause the ‘safety car’ to depart, and races can change from moment to moment. But in this case, fate was even more fickle. The action, which also involved Verstappen himself, ended up bringing out the safety car and changing everything. The ace that Max needed to sign his best straight flush was created by himself.

Max was in the midst of a comeback, diving inside from home and very aggressively passing George Russell, which was accurate. George shouldn’t have looked in the rearview mirror properly. He zoomed in on Max on that curve as if he wasn’t there, and they collided. Fortunately, it was the Brit’s car that was damaged. In addition to being fast, Max’s Red Bull confirmed that it was a fighting tank in that corner. Strangely enough, Carbon fiber debris scattered on the track brought out the safety car, and Max could see the light at the end of the tunnel.

champion comeback

The race restarted with 21 laps remaining. Leclerc led ahead of Perez, Gasly, Piastri and Verstappen.and From there, the Dutch revival plan began. A show of superiority. With hard tires, we didn’t suffer from early “grain”. Max has the plane again. And flew. By the fourth lap, he was in third place behind Perez, who had passed Charles for the lead on the previous lap. “We’ll be chasing you, so let’s do our best together.”he said on the radio. “Czech” was fine. Max was close to Charles in second place. He overtook Monaco in just one lap and took the lead. On lap 37, with 13 laps remaining, he took the lead. Since then, no one has opposed him.

A day when everything seemed against him. He had no advantage in any other event, and after receiving a five-second penalty against a rival at his own level, he finally won again. Maybe it was luck. Or maybe not. Max will forget his days in the best cars. And even when it’s in doubt, no matter the difficult road conditions, weather or whatever else happens, he wins in the end.

Leclerc passes Perez on the final lap

Perez filled in for Max’s lack of opponents and maintained second place. The Mexican just missed out on the podium at the Brazil Games in a “photo finish” with Alonso, losing second place with just a few meters left. Leclerc overtook him with DRS and a powerful engine and took the win several corners from the finish line. Charles was second and Perez third. Russell crossed the finish line in fourth place, but a penalty meant he finished eighth, giving free positions to Ocon (fourth), Stroll (fifth), Sainz (sixth) and Hamilton (seventh).

Sainz 6th, Alonso 9th

Carlos Sainz had to put his car into the fight for victory, but his anger persisted after the race. What happened on Friday, the accident in the sewers, he was not at fault, the FIA ​​and the organization were also at fault, and he lost the Grand Prix. Due to the battery change caused by the accident, he incurred a 10-position penalty and will start this Sunday in 12th place instead of 2nd place. Had he started second, the Spaniard would have been in the fight and Ferrari would have had two drivers to face Verstappen and Red Bull. But the reality was very different.

Carlos Sainz, who started 12th, spun in the inside area of ​​Turn 1 immediately after the start, where there was no grip at all. As a result, he was placed at the back of the pack. The same thing happened to Fernando Alonso, who started 9th. The safety car at the start of the race allowed them to stop early and put on hard rubber. The race seemed to be stalled for both, with the initial battle for position remaining too far back. Finally, the “safety car” caused by the accident between Russell and Verstappen gave them wings. The race was reorganized, free stops were allowed, and the battle for points began in earnest.

In the end, Sainz finished sixth, considered good considering his start, but was aware that Friday’s sewer safety issue had cost him a huge chance. Since then he had his hands and feet tied. He added points for Alonso, which was very difficult in the early stages, as he finished ninth, being passed by Hamilton on the final lap.