Max Verstappen clinches fourth Formula 1 world championship in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS — Max Verstappen clinched his fourth Formula 1 world championship Saturday night under the bright lights of Sin City, cementing his standing among the legends of the sport.

The 27-year-old Red Bull driver just needed to finish ahead of his sole championship rival, McLaren’s Lando Norris, to eliminate him from contention and secure the trophy with two races and a “sprint” to go in the 2024 season. He finished 5th, while Norris finished 6th.

Verstappen becomes just the sixth driver in F1 history to capture four world championships, joining an elite club with Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Alain Prost and Juan Manuel Fangio.

“Oh my God, man. What a season,” Verstappen said while still in his car over team radio. “Four times! Thank you… It’s been a little more difficult than last year, but we pulled through. And we gave it all.”

With actor and filmmaker Sylvester Stallone waving the checkered flag, Mercedes driver George Russell won the 50-lap race after qualifying in pole position, ahead of Mercedes teammate Hamilton in 2nd place and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz in 3rd.

“We have a lot of incredible young talent in the sport and Lando is definitely one of them. And of course, at times, he made it very difficult for me,” Verstappen said at a post-race news conference.

Norris congratulated Verstappen after the race, saying he made the most of his opportunities.

“That’s the strength of his,” Norris told reporters. “He has no negatives. When he had the quickest car, he dominated races. When he’s not the quickest car, he’s still just behind us and almost winning the races anyway… He just gets everything out of the car every time.”

The international sport has brought a new level of glitz and glamor — and a title-decider — to Las Vegas. Celebrities made appearances in the paddock, with some attendees dropping tens of thousands of dollars for premium trackside tickets in hospitality suites.

“I love fast cars, I love racing and I love Las Vegas,” Paris Hilton, a fan of McLaren and Norris, told NBC News on the grid moments before the race started. “So it’s a perfect combination of fun.”

The track is best-known for its 1.2 mile-long straight along the famous Las Vegas Boulevard, where the cars reached a top speed of about 221 mph as they zipped by the Venetian, the Bellagio and other casinos on the Strip, while providing a series of exciting overtakes for the fans in attendance.

Verstappen played it safe and took few risks, putting up little defense as the two rapid Ferraris of Sainz and Charles Leclerc challenged and ultimately overtook him. Neither of the Ferrari or Mercedes drivers were mathematically in the title hunt.

Ahead of the race, Norris told reporters that the title was all but out of reach regardless of what happened in Vegas.

“It’s not going to change anything. He’s pretty likely to win the championship,” Norris said late Friday after qualifying. “But I’m here to race and do my best in every single race I can, whether Max finishes ahead or not. That’s life.”

The constructors championship, which pays out the lucrative prize money in F1, is still up for grabs. McLaren leads in the standings, ahead of Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes.

Red Bull won the constructors championship in 2022 and 2023, but it is unlikely to repeat that feat this year, largely due to the persistent struggles and weaker performance of its second driver, Sergio Perez, who has had a winless season.

A new American team in F1?

The Las Vegas Grand Prix capped three races in the United States — including Miami and Austin — in the 2024 season, more than any other country, a vote of confidence in the growing American market. It was the second race of the 10-year contract in Vegas.

Aside from the road closures and inconveniences for many locals, the race has been a boon to Las Vegas. A report by Nevada’s Clark County said the economic impact of the race was nearly $1.5 billion. Race attendance last year was 316,000, the report added.

And U.S. interest could soon get another boost.

Insiders expect Formula 1 to admit an 11th team on the grid, likely called Cadillac F1, in 2026, sources with knowledge told NBC News.

The anticipated move is linked to an earlier bid by Andretti and GM-backed Cadillac that was green-lit by the sport’s governing body, the FIA, but rejected by F1’s commercial side. The shift comes amid a commitment from Cadillac to build its own power unit starting in 2028, and changes in the Andretti organization that have put investor Daniel Towriss (rather than Michael Andretti) at the helm of the bid. The news was first reported by the Associated Press.

A spokesperson for Formula 1 declined to comment. The sport’s commercial owner, Liberty Media, is facing an investigation by the Department of Justice for potential antitrust violations after denying the earlier bid by Andretti, the company told investors in August.

If approved, the decision would put a famous American team and car manufacturer in the pinnacle of motorsport. It would occur in the same year that Red Bull is set to partner with Ford to build its power unit, setting up a clash of U.S. car giants.

Verstappen’s triumph wasn’t a sure thing

For all his successes, it’s been a turbulent season for Verstappen as he has navigated car problems, formidable rivals and seemingly nonstop drama surrounding him off the track.

After winning seven out of the first 10 races, Verstappen has won just one of the last 12 races. The early string of victories have been crucial in Verstappen’s quest for a fourth world championship.

It came after Verstappen had a record-smashing season in 2023, winning 19 of the 22 races during the season. The dominance of his Red Bull car continued into the early part of the 2024 season, but rapidly tapered off as McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes improved their cars and challenged for victories.

Verstappen’s campaign was also helped by the fact that multiple rival teams caught up — if not surpassed Red Bull — around the same time. The season has seen a total of seven race-winners: including the six drivers with McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes. In numerous cases where Verstappen struggled, others took points off Norris and hindered his quest to challenge the Dutchman.