Seven things we learned from the 2024 Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix
Las Vegas is a city with a rich history. And in the 2024 Formula 1 season, several stories ended or intensified this weekend, the main one being Max Verstappen, who managed to win a fourth world title in a row.
Motorsport.com analyzes Seven highlights from the 2024 Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix.
1. Only three drivers are ahead of Verstappen in Formula 1 titles.
Verstappen finished where he started in Las Vegas in fifth, but it was a much more interesting race than it looks. The Dutchman managed to run second, but gradually fell back as the Mercedes and Ferraris were noticeably faster.
When he dropped to fifth, Verstappen was already in “championship mode” and rode headlong, knowing that Norris was behind and that this would secure the title after he had done most of his brilliant work in Brazil.
Finally, when he crossed the checkered flag, he was overcome with joy as he clinched his fourth consecutive Formula One title.
Having won four championships, Verstappen joins other Formula 1 legends such as Alain Prost and Sebastian Vettel. And ahead of him are only Juan Manuel Fangio (five), Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton (both seven).
2. The cold is Mercedes’ best friend in Formula 1 2024.
Mercedes led every session in Las Vegas and took their first victory since the Belgian Grand Prix in July.
Photo: Glenn Dunbar/Motorsport Images
“I don’t know how it happened so quickly, but now I’m on the crest of a wave.” Having dominated qualifying and the race, Russell still didn’t understand how he managed to win in Las Vegas. After all, it was the car he and Hamilton were unable to keep on the race track the last time Formula One was in the US.
Like the Ferrari SF-23 in 2023, the W15 was able to warm up its tires ahead of its rivals, giving Russell a decisive advantage in the first sector when it mattered in qualifying, as well as in the early stages of the race. hurry up to distance yourself and start managing.
“It just helped us that the tires were in the right temperature range,” said Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff after Hamilton finished the race one-two after starting 10th.
After a disappointing mid-season performance, the cold proved to be the key to Mercedes’ success.
3. McLaren loses to Ferrari in the constructors’ race
McLaren had one of their worst weekends of the season at the Las Vegas Grand Prix and could only leave Sin City with 15 points, nine with Lando Norris and six with Oscar Piastri. However, Ferrari were competitive from the start and, if not for Mercedes, would have achieved the double. Finally, Maranello took third and fourth places, which allowed them to add 27 points.
With two races remaining, in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, the points difference between McLaren and Ferrari is 24, so the race for the Constructors’ Championship is still very open, especially after we saw the Woking team struggle in Las Vegas.
And McLaren should thank Mercedes, because if not for their good form, Ferrari would have added 43 points and the margin for the British would have narrowed alarmingly.
4. Norris, defeatist after defeat
Lando Norris arrived in Las Vegas knowing he needed to finish ahead of Verstappen to challenge for the drivers’ title in Qatar. However, it was clear from the start that the McLaren would not be in contention for the top positions on the grid, in fact it ended up clearly being the fourth best car behind Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull respectively.
After he finished sixth and Verstappen fifth, the driver’s title passed into the hands of the Dutch driver. Speaking to the media about this, Norris looked defeated and defeatist as he stated that even “with a perfect season” they could not have won the championship from Max.
This is in stark contrast to the words of Verstappen, who dared to say that with McLaren he would have won the World Drivers’ Championship “even earlier”.
5. Aston Martin continues to free fall
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR24
Photo: Andy Hawn / Motorsport Images
On the eve of Las Vegas, Aston Martin’s senior technical staff had said that the track would suit their car much better and that they would perform better, but the Silverstone team was once again faced with reality.
In qualifying, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll were absent from Q1, although it is true that a yellow flag prevented the Asturian’s final attempt and that the Canadian only had one attempt due to a problem with his engine’s energy recovery system.
And things weren’t much better in the race: Alonso finished 11th, and Stroll, who also had to run without a radio, finished 15th. So now four Grands Prix in a row in which Aston Martin comes home empty is the worst streak of the season.
6. Sergio Perez, who is increasingly less appreciated at Red Bull
Another weekend, Checo Perez was nowhere near the pace of his teammate Max Verstappen and it is increasingly clear that Red Bull have no business in the Constructors’ Championship, where they are already 53 points behind McLaren.
In qualifying, the Mexican failed again and dropped out in the first quarter, while in the race he managed to climb back to tenth place and score a point that he knew was not enough for the domestic competition.
In fact, Helmut Marko attacked him again and, in addition to blaming him for Red Bull’s position in the team championship, accused him of the fact that Red Bull employees were not going to receive a bonus for winning the title solely through their own fault.
Without a doubt, with two races remaining in the 2024 Formula 1 season, Checo’s future appears to be more external than internal to the Austrian structure.
7. Leclerc imploded with Ferrari after podium defeat by Sainz
Throughout the race, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz battled for third place on the podium, leading to a happy ending for the Spanish driver, who managed to finish third behind two Mercedes in a different league.
However, the internal battle was resolved in a controversial manner. At the final pit stop, Sainz entered ahead of Leclerc, and when the Monegasque entered the track with new tyres, Sainz was just behind with hot tires and took the opportunity to overtake him on the straight.
But the move angered Leclerc greatly as his engineer said Sainz had orders not to attack him. After the race, the Monegasque exploded on the radio and declared that “niceness irritates me the whole damn time.”
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24
Photo: Sam Bloxam/Motorsport Images