VEGAS: 1 title won, 1 still up for grabs.

NUMBER TWENTY TWO

We’re in Vegas, so it’s about right that Max Verstappen hits the jackpot.

World Championship Number 4. Pretty impressive. A hard-fought battle and, in my eyes, a well-deserved win.

Now to the race…

I’ll be honest, wasn’t wild. It also required me to wake up at 6am on a Sunday.

The top 10 is full of teammates buddying up. Firstly, the Mercedes boys. They are quick. Russell starts and finishes pole, no drama just pace. Hamilton has a bit more to do starting P10, but absolutely flies up the grid to take P2. A consistent pace like this throughout the season would have seen them competing for the Constructors’ title, but 100 points behind Red Bull puts them too far out of reach now.

Next up, we have the Ferrari boys. They are also quick. Leclerc jumps up from P4 to P2 at lights out but, crucially, cannot quite get round Russell at the top. The aggressive start cooks his tyres and he’s forced to box early. He comes in where he started at P4. His teammate manages a slightly better race and takes the last podium spot at P3.

And now, the McLaren boys. They are not so quick. I mean, they’re quick enough for P6 and P7, but don’t seem to make an impact right up at the top. Pace is not on their side this weekend.

So where does Verstappen slot in to this jigsaw I hear you ask. Having launched off the line with aggression - sitting up at P3 then P2, he is reminded of the bigger picture and settles into a comfortable P5. Of course, with Norris (his only title contender) coming in just behind at P6, this means the World Championship can and will only be won by Verstappen.

Onto some pit lane chaos. We’ve got Ocon going for a drive through the pit lane without actually stopping – it seems his mechanics hadn’t quite got the memo that he was coming in. Similar to Stroll who takes his mechanics by surprise and sends them running about looking for tyres as he speeds into the pit lane. This becomes somewhat understandable when we learn that Stroll’s radio doesn’t work for the entire race. Not ideal. Sainz’s radio is certainly working as he practically begs his team to let him come in for a tyre change, only for them to change their minds just as the nose of his Ferrari goes into the pit lane, and he is forced to pull away to complete another lap. Most dramatic is Tsunoda who, to narrowly avoid a collision, goes airborne in his RB and takes out a speed sign as he flies out the pit lane.

Tsunoda’s chaotic pit doesn’t stop him from nabbing a couple of points as he comes in at P9, just behind the Haas of Hulkenberg at P8 and just in front of Perez at P10. Alonso misses out on points by just 6 seconds at P11, while his teammate sits down at P15. P12 is Magnussen, followed by Zhou with one of his best finishes at P13. Not the best day for the newbies – Colapinto comes in at P14 and Lawson P16, they sit just above Ocon at P17.

Couple of DNFs – Gasly and Albon. Huge shame for Gasly, off the back of an impressive podium finish in Brazil and qualifying P3 this weekend, he is forced to retire his Alpine early on. Albon manages to jump up into the points from a P17 start, but is forced to retire his Williams mid-race.

Just 2 races left now, and it’s all about the Constructors.