Max Verstappen wins Las Vegas grand Prix

Las Vegas, 

Sunday, 18 November, 2023 

McCreadie Andias 

Max Verstappen overcame Charles Leclerc to win the Las Vegas grand Prix in a chaotic race at Las Vegas on Sunday. 

Verstappen overcame a collision and penalty to slide into the top podium. 

Verstappen fought his way past pole winer Leclerc at the first corner, and was given a 5s penalty but kept his track position at the front in the early stages. 

However, when Verstappen pitted under the Safety Car, the Dutchman's fresher tyres enabled him to surge back through the field and eventually pass Leclerc with 13 of the 50 laps remaining.

Pole-sitter Charles Leclerc denied Verstappen's Red Bull team a one-two by overtaking Sergio Perez on the final lap, having cruelly had his chances of victory ruined by the second of two Safety Cars.

The race was interrupted when McLaren’s Lando Norris crashed out heavily on lap three, and again after Verstappen and Mercedes’ George Russell clashed just after half distance.

Perez and Leclerc swapped places, just as Verstappen caught them. Verstappen then passed them both to score his 18th win of the season. Perez took second when Leclerc ran wide, but Leclerc repassed him on the final lap to deny a Red Bull 1-2.

Despite being overtaken on the final lap for a second successive race, Perez's third place gave him seals second in the world championship and a first ever one-two for Red Bull in the drivers' standings.

Alpine's Esteban Ocon and Aston Martin's Lance Stroll also took advantage of the chaos to seal impressive fourth- and fifth-placed finishes.