VERSTAPPEN DOMINATES IN VEGAS AS NORRIS HAS FIRST MATCH POINT IN QATAR
Max Verstappen took a strong win at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, cutting Lando Norris’s championship lead to 42 points. Oscar Piastri finished fourth.
At the start, Verstappen took control of the 50-lap race after Norris ran wide in Turn 1. Norris had tried to block Verstappen off the line but lost the position and dropped behind George Russell as well. Norris later passed Russell again, but by then Verstappen was too far ahead. Norris also had a late issue with his car and finished almost 21 seconds behind.
Russell held on to third place, even though he complained about a steering problem that almost let his teammate Kimi Antonelli catch him. Antonelli had an impressive drive from P17 to finish fourth on track. However, he got a five-second penalty for a false start, dropping him to fifth.
Because of that penalty, Piastri moved up to fourth. His race had been complicated early on when Liam Lawson hit him at Turn 1, dropping him to seventh. Piastri is now 30 points behind Norris in the championship.
Charles Leclerc finished sixth after starting ninth. Carlos Sainz brought his Williams home in seventh. Behind them came Isack Hadjar, Nico Hülkenberg, and Lewis Hamilton, who took the final point despite starting last and running the hard tyre early.
Just outside the points were Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman from Haas. Bearman had been in the top ten early in the race. Fernando Alonso finished 13th, ahead of Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly. Gasly had spun at Turn 1 on lap one.
Lawson ended up 16th after taking damage on lap two, and Franco Colapinto was the last classified finisher.
Alex Albon retired after hitting the back of Hamilton and needing a new front wing. Gabriel Bortoleto and Lance Stroll also retired after making contact at Turn 1 on the opening lap.
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