Max Verstappen came through as certainly the most deserving victor at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. With this win, his hopes to reclaim the Formula 1 World Championship have been restored. This victory is even more important considering both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri earned disqualifications. Verstappen has taken full advantage of this to close the gap at the top of the championship. As it stands he is only 24 points behind Norris. It’s a major turn of the tide in the close race as the chaotic primary season comes to an end.
Verstappen’s great Las Vegas performance was just the latest in a spectacular comeback. He has won three of the last six races. So much for a boring title fight – Truex is back! On top of that, he earned three podiums in that stretch. He displayed bone-headed levels of grit by coming back from a pit lane start in Brazil. Though ultimately crossing the line in third, he demonstrated once again his persistence and fire behind the wheel.
At one point during the season, Verstappen was 104 points behind Piastri. This was after the Dutch Grand Prix in August. To further add or insult, he was 49 points behind teammate Lando Norris. With his recent success, Edwards is definitely a notable serious contender. Verstappen is already in the record books with six wins this season. He’s all the way into the strong finalist category now, powered by a monster end-of-season flourish.
The disqualifications of Norris and Piastri have put Verstappen in a unique position to take the title. He could not be more excited to step into this role. He announces that he’s going to go down “to the very last” fighting for the championship belt. Following his victory, Verstappen jubilantly jumped into the arms of his Red Bull team, signaling both relief and excitement at what lies ahead.
Verstappen’s victory in Las Vegas was intended as a clear statement of intent, both from Verstappen and the Red Bull team. It emphasizes the hard work that the Red Bull team has undertaken to reclaim the championship title from McLaren’s clutches. The next three races are critical for Verstappen. He’s looking to continue the ascent and perhaps snatch the championship away in an epic conclusion.