Verstappen captures 4th F1 championship after Mercedes sweep of Las Vegas Grand Prix

Max Verstappen cruised to a fourth consecutive Formula 1 championship on Saturday night by finishing fifth in the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Verstappen needed only to finish ahead of Lando Norris of McLaren to give Red Bull a fourth straight driver championship. The Dutchman started fifth but was already up to second by the 10th lap around the street circuit that includes the famed Las Vegas Strip.

Norris, who had to score at least three points more than Verstappen to extend the championship fight, finished sixth. Verstappen needed only to finish higher than Norris to win the title, which he did with two races remaining on the season.

He ended the race up 63 points over Norris with two events remaining this season.

“Max Verstappen you are a four-time world champion,” team principal Christian Horner said on the radio. “That is a phenomenal, phenomenal achievement. You can be incredibly proud of yourself as we are.”

Verstappen, only the sixth driver in F1 history to win at least four titles, sounded unusually emotional on the radio.

“Oh My God, what a season. Four times. Thank you, thank you guys,” he said. “We gave it all.”

The race was won, meanwhile, by George Russell who was followed by Lewis Hamilton in the first 1-2 sweep for the Mercedes drivers since 2022. Hamilton came from 10th on the grid — two weeks after a demoralizing race in Brazil — to capture his podium finish.

The duo crossed the finish line under a checkered flag waved by actor Sylvester Stallone.

Carlos Sainz Jr. finished third for Ferrari as the constructor championship remains a tight battle between leader McLaren and Ferrari. Charles Leclerc, his teammate, was fourth. Red Bull had won the title that pays roughly $150 million in prize money the last two seasons but has slipped to third in the standings.

But that championship battle appears headed to next month’s season finale in Abu Dhabi. McLaren has a 24-point lead over Ferrari headed into this weekend’s race in Qatar after Norris and Oscar Piastri finished sixth and seventh in Las Vegas.

“Max deserved to win it. He drove a better season than I did, he deserved it more than anyone else,” Norris said. “Max just doesn’t have a weakness. When he’s got the best car, he dominates and when he’s not got the best car, he’s still just there always.”

Verstappen, meanwhile, made easy work of Norris after a season where the McLaren driver pushed him harder than he’d been challenged since Verstappen’s first title in 2021.

“To stand here as a four-time world champion is something I never thought would be possible,” Verstappen told actor Terry Crews, who moderated the podium news conference held in front of the Bellagio’s famed fountains.

“It was a very challenging season and I had to be calm. I think this season taught me a lot of lessons and we handled it well as a team, so that of course makes it a very special and beautiful season.”

Verstappen, who is 27, won 19 races last year. He opened this season on a tear but a long winless streak from June until Brazil two weeks ago has him with only eight wins, his fewest since 2020. JENNA FRYER, LAS VEGAS, MDT/AP