Viva Las Vegas: The Highs and Lows of the Las Vegas Grand Prix
F1 Instagram (Official Poster for the Las Vegas Grand Prix)
F1 travels to Las Vegas to start the final triple-header to end the 2024 season. So much was at stake in this race, as Max Verstappen had the chance to clinch his fourth driver's championship, and the battle between the mid-card teams was heating up just as much as the battle for first in the constructor's championship. You know what they say: what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but in this case, why would we keep the highs and lows of the Las Vegas Grand Prix a secret?
F1 Instagram (Max Verstappen after he clenches his 4th championship)
High: Going into this weekend, all Max Verstappen had to do was finish above Mclaren's Lando Norris to win his fourth WDC*. Sounds easy, right? It would have been if Redbull had brought the right rear wing, suitable for a track like Las Vegas. The car lacked pace during practice and miraculously brought Max up to P5 during qualifying, with Lando starting P6, seemingly giving us a fight until the end. But with Lando not being able to get the tires to the right temperature, the tire life was almost nonexistent, causing him to pit earlier than expected, pretty much handing Max his fourth championship in a row. Max wasted no time in his celebrations as he was quilt-handed a gin and tonic and a couple of beers during his post-race interviews.
F1 Instagram (Franco Entering the Paddock on Friday)
Low: Williams' bad luck seems to never end. Both Williams' drivers, Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto, put out impressive performances during this weekend's practice sessions. Still, it seemed to all end when Franco made contact with a wall and was sent in a 50g crash that completely destroyed his car and left his possibility of racing on Saturday up in the air. His mechanic worked overtime to fix the car just in time for the grand prix, and after being medically cleared, he could race. But the bad luck for Williams didn't end there, as by lap 26, Alex was told to head back to the pits as his race was over. We hope Williams can turn things around for the season's last race.
Ferrari Instagram (Carlos Sainz on the Podium after Winning Third)
No comment: Going into this weekend, I would have put it all on red, or scarlet Ferrari red, for the win in Las Vegas. C2 (Carlos Sainz) this weekend, especially during the practice, seemed unstoppable, landing right behind the Mercedes, which was wicked fast in these cold conditions. However, the lack of listening to the drivers' needs really killed the Ferraris during the race, other than their grainy tires. Towards the end of the race, Carlos was asking to box. The pit wall decided to ignore his request and keep him out for a couple of laps so he could swap positions with Leclerc, and when Sainz came out of the pits after final boxing, he was told not to fight with his teammate for the position. Sainz ended up ignoring team orders and passed Charles up for third. Thus, why are we giving this a no comment? We hate to see our Ferrari boys fight, but can we really blame Carlos Sainz for wanting to finish above his teammate? We love the drama.
Mercedes Instagram (Celebrating after Vegas)
High: Throughout this season, Mercedes has been the underdogs, and going into this weekend, that was no exception. I wouldn't have put my money on the silver arrows going into this race. It didn't take long for Mercedes to show up and show out and shut the haters up. Grussell Sprouts* all over the world rejoiced as George Russell took pole on Friday for the third time this season and converted it into a win. And for his teammate Lewis Hamilton, after having his confidence knocked down after Brazil, he ended up qualifying P10 after a disastrous last session for him on Friday. Still, he was able to fight his way up to second.
Pierre Gasly Celebrating after Qualifying
Low: Alpine came into Vegas on an all-time high after scoring a double podium in Brazil, jumping from ninth to sixth in the constructors. Pierre Gasly went into the qualifying session like he was still in Brazil, managing to start P3 in the race with such a competitive field starting behind him. Maybe it was the pink Barbie livery* magic; who knows what got him the second-row start of his career? As much as we would have loved to see what he would have done, by lap 16, Pierre's race came to a halt as he lost power.