Verstappen seals fourth straight Formula One world title in Las Vegas
Norris needed to outscore Verstappen by at least three points to keep his slim hopes alive, but even a point for the fastest lap was not enough.
Max Verstappen clinched his fourth consecutive Formula One world championship under the dazzling lights of the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Despite finishing fifth in a race dominated by George Russell, the 27-year-old Dutchman joined an elite group of drivers, including Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, Juan Manuel Fangio, Sebastian Vettel, and Alain Prost, to secure at least four world titles.
Verstappen's sole remaining title rival, McLaren's Lando Norris, finished sixth, ending any mathematical possibility of challenging the Red Bull driver.
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Norris needed to outscore Verstappen by at least three points to keep his slim hopes alive, but even a point for the fastest lap was not enough.
Expressing his emotions over the team radio, Verstappen said, "Oh my god, what a season—four times, thank you, guys. It's a little more difficult than last year, but we pulled through. Thank you so much."
Russell delivered a commanding performance to win the race, crossing the line 7.313 seconds ahead of his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton, who had started from 10th on the grid.
Ferrari's Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc claimed third and fourth places, respectively, with Verstappen rounding out the top five.
The race began on a milder, windy evening in the Nevada desert, with air and track temperatures hovering around 18 degrees Celsius.
Russell capitalised on his fourth career pole position to lead from the start, while Leclerc made a strong move from fourth on the grid to seize second place.
Fernando Alonso gambled on soft tyres, but they lasted only four laps, forcing him to pit early. Meanwhile, Verstappen, showing his usual dominance, surged past Pierre Gasly for fourth place by lap nine and overtook Leclerc for third shortly after.
The first round of pit stops introduced chaos into the race order. Sainz, Leclerc, and Norris switched to hard tyres early, with Verstappen and Russell following suit on lap 12. During this flurry of activity, Hamilton briefly took the lead, taking advantage of the reshuffling.
By lap 15, Russell regained control of the race, with Verstappen in second and Sergio Perez, who had pitted early, trailing in third. Gasly's Alpine, meanwhile, suffered an engine failure, forcing the Frenchman to retire.
Hamilton, on a charge, climbed to fifth by lap 20, overtaking both Ferraris as Norris struggled with grip in sixth.
The Briton, eager to silence critics questioning his longevity, displayed vintage form, cutting Russell's 11-second lead to six seconds in a thrilling mid-race stint.
However, the drama continued as Ferrari's pit strategy added to the chaos. Sainz and Leclerc swapped places multiple times, with Sainz eventually dropping to sixth after a late stop. Norris, battling tyre issues, reported, "The front right looks like it is about to go any lap," as his championship hopes faded further.
Russell held firm at the front, unchallenged for the win, while Verstappen's focus remained on securing the championship. He dropped to fifth after being passed by Sainz but managed to keep Leclerc and Norris at bay.
The final laps saw Verstappen concentrating on the bigger picture, crossing the line in fifth to seal his fourth title, capping another dominant season for Red Bull. As Russell celebrated his race victory, Verstappen basked in the glory of a legacy now firmly etched among Formula One's greats.
