2024 Formula 1 Preview & Review.

[Fortitude]

Hamilton sets Mercedes a challenge after shock turnaround.
Lewis Hamilton has… …called on Mercedes to work overnight to ensure it can maintain its pace.
22 Nov 2024
Fergal Walsh
RacingNews365

Speaking after running on Friday, a buoyant Hamilton reflected positively on his efforts. “It's the first time that I've actually had a day like that this year. So the car was feeling really good in FP1 - FP2 less so,” he said.

“So we've got some work to do overnight, but it's difficult to know exactly where we are or why we are where we are. But I’m really enjoying driving the track and we'll see if the car is still the same tomorrow.” Hamilton conceded his race pace was lacking, making him wary over his chances of a strong result on Sunday.

“Hot conditions are a little bit worse for us but the race pace is not that great,” he said. “So the work we've got to do overnight is to try and figure out how we can have better race pace without losing actual pace throughout the lap.”

‘Work we've got to do overnight’;

https://racingnews365.com/hamilton-s...ock-turnaround


Las Vegas GP: Free Practice 2 Results
Full results from Free Practice 2 from the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix at Las Vegas Strip Circuit.
22 Nov 2024
Mat Coch
Speedcafe

Full results from Free Practice 2 from the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix at Las Vegas Strip Circuit.

Pos Num Driver Team Laps Best Diff
1 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 24 1:33.825
2 4 Lando Norris McLaren 24 1:33.836 0.011
3 63 George Russell Mercedes 28 1:34.015 0.190
4 55 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 28 1:34.105 0.280
5 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 27 1:34.313 0.488
6 10 Pierre Gasly Alpine 29 1:34.651 0.826
7 20 Kevin Magnussen Haas 19 1:34.686 0.861
8 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren 25 1:34.798 0.973
9 27 Nico Hulkenberg Haas 23 1:34.818 0.993
10 22 Yuki Tsunoda RB 22 1:34.997 1.172

‘Full results’;

https://speedcafe.com/las-vegas-gp-f...ice-2-results/


Hamilton narrowly fastest in frosty FP2 as Verstappen struggles in Las Vegas
Lewis Hamilton remains the man to beat in Las Vegas after the first day of F1 action
22 Nov 2024
Brandon Sutton
Total Motorsport

Mercedes continued their good form through the opening exchanges of the F1 2024 Las Vegas GP as Lewis Hamilton topped a frosty FP2 by 0.011 ahead of Lando Norris and George Russell, whilst Max Verstappen struggled for grip and pace under the bright lights of the iconic Strip.

Hamilton was living dangerously in Sin City by kissing the wall with his rear-left tyre he continues to drive like he personally has a point to prove after Toto Wolff recently suggested he is losing his touch, seemingly part of why he leaned towards hiring Kimi Antonelli for 2025.

So the 39-year-old was pushing to the limit ahead of his move to Ferrari, and perhaps senses the chance for a final Grand Prix victory with the Silver Arrows, who looked extremely strong through both the long runs and qualifying simulations to build on a successful FP1 on November 22.

‘Toto Wolff: “Losing his touch” (Not!)’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/ham...-in-las-vegas/


Las Vegas GP: Hamilton continues on top in second practice
22/11/2024
Andrew Lewin
F1i.com

Lewis Hamilton put Mercedes on top of the timesheets for the second time in Las Vegas, pipping McLaren's Lando Norris to the top spot by a slender 0.011s in the nighttime FP2 session.

George Russell was best of the rest in third ahead of Ferrari pair Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, with a strong performance from Pierre Gasly putting Alpine up in sixth place by the end of the hour.

Max Verstappen was down in 17th after drifting wide on his one flying lap attempt before the session was briefly red-flagged for Alex Albon coming to a stop with a fuel system issue on the Williams.

‘Mercedes on top of the timesheets for the second time’;

https://f1i.com/news/525043-las-vega...-practice.html


Lewis Hamilton bounces back with exciting practice double at Las Vegas Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton completed an impressive practice double at the Las Vegas Grand Prix as the Mercedes driver bounced back from his Brazil horror show.
Nov 22, 2024
Philip Duncan
Daily and Sunday Express

Hamilton, set to join Ferrari next season, confessed he considered ending his 12-year stint with Mercedes, which has brought him six of his seven world titles, after a challenging race in Brazil.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff acknowledged Hamilton's emotional response, saying: "We all know that Lewis wears his heart on the sleeve. It was such a bad experience for him, that whole race weekend in Brazil, and particularly the Sunday, he said something that wasn’t, in a way, unusual.”

"Now, this time was probably particularly bad. There are three races to go. He announced at the beginning of the year that he was joining Ferrari, and I am proud how we have achieved to maintain the professional relationships and we have given him a tool that is not good enough."

‘Lewis Hamilton bounces back’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...gas-Grand-Prix


2024 Las Vegas GP FP2: Albon stops on track to trigger red flags
Nov 22, 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Alex Albon was kept in the garage until almost 40 minutes had passed of FP2, only for his Williams to grind to a halt and stop out on track as soon as he left the pits.

‘Albon stops on track’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/video/20...06201293833394


Lewis Hamilton paces both F1 practices on opening day of Las Vegas Grand Prix
22 Nov 2024
ASSOCIATED PRESS
MailOnline

"I didn´t really want to come back," Hamilton said in Las Vegas of his Brazil performance, where he struggled with the handling of his car, called it "undriveable" and "the bumpiest ride ever" after finishing 10th. "If this is the last time that I get to perform, it´s a shame it wasn´t great, but (I´m) grateful for you," Hamilton said on his team radio after the race.

Hamilton clarified those remarks in Las Vegas, explaining how frustrated he was by the Brazil performance. "In the moment, that´s how I felt," he said. "I didn´t really want to come back after that weekend, but I think that´s only natural.”

“It´s frustrating when you have a season like this, which I´m pretty sure I won´t have again, or at least I´ll work towards not having again. It wasn´t a great feeling in that moment but I´m here, I´m standing strong, and I´m going to give it absolutely everything for the last few races."

"In the moment, that´s how I felt";

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap...rand-Prix.html

[Fortitude]

Mercedes 'have failed Lewis Hamilton' claims Toto Wolff at Las Vegas Grand Prix.
"I have clearly remarked he’s the greatest driver of all time and if we’re able to give him a quick car he’s going to be able to win," said Wolff. "He’s able to fight for a championship but we have failed in doing so."
Nov 22, 2024
Archie Griggs
Daily and Sunday Express

Toto Wolff believes Mercedes have failed Lewis Hamilton in his bid to win an eighth Drivers' Championship title. The 39-year-old has only won two races in the last three seasons, with the Silver Arrows no longer the unstoppable force they once were. Though he still bullishly added: "We finished third two years ago, we finished second last year, bearing in mind we haven't won a race, and we won three this year. So that is not all a failure. That was a pretty good spell for Mercedes and for Lewis.

"And we will be trying to do it better. We are trying to do it better every single day, every single weekend. And the same will be next season and then the big one in '26." It remains to be seen if Hamilton will finally win his eighth title at Ferrari. They look set to be one of the fastest teams on the grid next year, having come on leaps and bounds in recent campaigns.

‘Mercedes have failed Lewis Hamilton’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...gas-Grand-Prix


Las Vegas GP data: Huge Red Bull RB20 loss discovered as big unknown identified
22 Nov 2024
Pablo Hidalgo
PlanetF1.com

After a very cold and low-grip night in the US state of Nevada, Friday practice for the Las Vegas GP has left us with several clues for the rest of the weekend including an apparent ‘wrong’ choice of rear wing spec for Red Bull for this race.

Helmut Marko’s comments have set alarm bells ringing about Red Bull‘s performance for the rest of the weekend in Las Vegas. And it’s true that Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez have looked out of sorts in the first two Free Practice sessions.

Marko revealed after FP2 that the team had made the wrong choice with their rear wing spec for this race and that a different configuration with less downforce would not arrive in time for qualifying – something that certainly on the fast Las Vegas circuit can be key in determining the overall performance of the car.

‘Huge Red Bull RB20 loss discovered’;

https://www.planetf1.com/features/la...l-rb20-unknown


Red Bull admit to huge blunder at F1 Las Vegas GP as team stuck with WRONG car part
Red Bull superstar Max Verstappen could clinch the Formula 1 world title this weekend.
22 Nov 2024
Marcus Chan
SPORTbible

As reported by Auto Motor und Sport, the Red Bull cars are losing more than half a second on the straights due to the blunder. The team's senior advisor, Helmut Marko, was asked whether they would fly in a new version before qualifying, he said, as per Planet F1: "No. We don't have another rear wing, a smaller rear wing, as we see it on our competitors. It would be more helpful, for sure."

Speaking about the car's overall performance, Marko added: "On the short run we didn't go out with a soft tyre, and the long run was only partly good. Some laps were competitive, but then the rear tyres were disappearing. There were flashes of speed. We just have to get consistency into it."

He continued: "We need more balance. On the single lap we can improve. But on the long run, the tyre wear is a problem at the moment. Tomorrow is a different day. You maybe saw it a lot of times. People will be fastest on Friday or Thursday, but it doesn't mean that they are fast in the race. We will, for sure, make a reasonable step."

‘Huge blunder’;

https://www.sportbible.com/f1/red-bu...23881-20241122


Max Verstappen told to stop ‘whining’ after fresh Las Vegas GP complaints
22 Nov 2024
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

“The problem for me is mainly the time difference between Vegas and Qatar,” Max Verstappen told Motorsport-Total.com. “If we do triple-headers, we have to make sure that they are a bit closer together. That would make more sense to me.”

“At the end of the season you are simply tired, and you can easily catch a flu. The long flight does not help with that.” Verstappen’s comments did not drum up much sympathy with former Caterham F1 driver Giedo van der Garde, who argues that the drivers are not the ones worst affected.

“It doesn’t matter,” he said on De Race Show. “If you’re immediately World Champion, you’re not interested. You’re going to sleep for 18 hours on the plane. Come on man. You can just whine about it. It’s too cool to race in Las Vegas. It’s more a tough one for the mechanics, who really goes into the last weekend with bags under his eyes.”

‘Whining’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/max-ve...-van-der-garde


‘Lot of pain’: David Croft worried about Fernando Alonso after he made one Aston Martin request at Las Vegas Grand Prix
22 Nov 2024
Luke-John Buckle
F1 Oversteer

Fernando Alonso has endured a frustrating season at Aston Martin as the team have continued to flounder in the midfield. The Spaniard has struggled to score points since the summer break, as the midfield is incredibly competitive. Alonso said: “I think you need to change the setup, a lot of bouncing.” Before Croft added: “For a man who was in a hell of a lot of pain in at Interlagos with the bouncing in his Aston Martin.”

Aston Martin are in no man’s land in the Constructors’ Championship as they sit fifth in the standings behind the top four teams. They are a distant fifth and should have enough of an advantage over Alpine with their 37-point lead with three rounds to go. A fifth place finish in the standings will provide more prize money than sixth although it is a step backwards from last season.

“Need to change the setup”;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/dav...as-grand-prix/


Danica Patrick tells James Vowles to look away as he’s shown brutal Williams footage at Las Vegas Grand Prix
22 Nov 2024
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Vowles sarcastically thanked the British broadcasters for forcing him to relive the weekend. The former Mercedes strategist took over at the start of 2023 and this was perhaps his biggest setback yet. Pundit Danica Patrick told him not to ‘look’ lest it bring back those emotions. But on a more serious note, Vowles expressed his pride at the team’s rebuilding job back at the base.

“Thank you for playing it back to me!” Vowles said. “I feel done now. Oh good, you’ve got all of them.” Patrick joked: “Don’t look!” Vowles added: “What I’m so proud of is Williams pulled together. Proper kicks in the stomach – you can see every single one of them here. And the team in Grove – the race team – just pulled together to build two cars at the right spec.”

“I feel done now”;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/dan...as-grand-prix/


TECH DEBRIEF: Ferrari ditches experimental floor at the Las Vegas Grand Prix
22 Nov 2024
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical

Ferrari had been expected not to introduce any new parts in the remaining three races of the season, which meant that it was surprising to see the Scuderia submit a new upgrade before the action kicked off at Las Vegas with the first practice session.

Commenting on the changes, Ferrari noted: "Not event specific, this update features reworked front floor fences targeting an improvement of the losses travelling downstream. The front floor body volume has subsequently reoptimized, together with the floor edge loading and vortex shedding into the diffuser."

Speaking of the changes, Ferrari senior engineer Jock Clear said that motivation for Ferrari to run a new floor is to test windtunel-to-track correlation. “It is literally [for] FP1 so it will come off [after]. We’ve only got one of them. It doesn’t bring performance, it’s just a very localised test. It’s just with a view to correlating the tunnel. Obviously, that has implications for ’25 because that’s the tool you’re developing everything on but it’s very much a correlation process," concluded Clear.

‘Experimental floor’;

https://www.f1technical.net/news/25852


Driver hit with five-place grid penalty at Las Vegas Grand Prix as F1 nightmare continues
Changes are already being made to the Las Vegas Grand Prix starting grid.
Nov 22, 2024
Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express

Valtteri Bottas has been hit with a five-place grid penalty for the Las Vegas Grand Prix after taking a new energy store. This new power unit component breached the FIA’s allowance for the season, landing him a handicap for Sunday’s race.

Four other drivers made changes to their cars as Sergio Perez and Alex Albon applied new exhaust systems, along with the VCARB duo of Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson. However, these new components fell within the teams’ allocations for the season, so no penalties were handed out.

This news comes as another blow to Bottas, who is still trying to show off his talents to prospective new employers for the 2025 season. The Finn’s departure from Sauber was confirmed after the Brazilian Grand Prix, along with team-mate Zhou Guanyu.

‘Five-place grid penalty’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...x-grid-penalty

[Fortitude]

Las Vegas GP: Russell keeps Mercedes on top in final practice.
George Russell upheld Mercedes’ dominant Las Vegas form in FP3 on Friday, the Briton topping a session that was cut short by a late red flag triggered by Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll.
23/11/2024
Michael Delaney
F1i.com

Russell outpaced McLaren’s Oscar Piastri by 0.215s while Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was third, but once again, the cool low-grip track conditions were a handful for drivers.

Behind the leading trio, championship rivals Lando Norris and Max Verstappen rounded off the top five, with the Red Bull charger lingering at the bottom of the timesheets for most of the session until an improved set-up and a late flyer on the soft tyre propelled him into the upper tier.

‘Mercedes on top’;

https://f1i.com/news/525191-las-vega...-practice.html


Las Vegas GP: Free Practice 3 Results
Full results from Free Practice 3 from the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix at Las Vegas Strip Circuit.
23 Nov 2024
Mat Coch
Speedcafe

Full results from Free Practice 3 from the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix at Las Vegas Strip Circuit.

Pos Num Driver Team Laps Best Diff
1 63 George Russell Mercedes 17 1:33.570
2 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren 13 1:33.785 0.215
3 55 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 15 1:33.918 0.348
4 4 Lando Norris McLaren 13 1:34.008 0.438
5 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 16 1:34.137 0.567
6 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 16 1:34.341 0.771
7 23 Alex Albon Williams 14 1:34.407 0.837
8 43 Franco Colapinto Williams 14 1:34.723 1.153
9 20 Kevin Magnussen Haas 13 1:34.883 1.313
10 10 Pierre Gasly Alpine 14 1:34.905 1.335

‘Full results’;

https://speedcafe.com/las-vegas-gp-f...ice-3-results/


Las Vegas GP: Mercedes secure practice hat-trick in a red-flag interrupted FP3
23 Nov 2024
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

George Russell wrapped up the practice hat-trick for Mercedes in Las Vegas, guaranteed the P1 by a late red flag as Lance Stroll’s AMR24 shut down with the Canadian coming to a halt on the side
of the track.

After a busy Thursday night, it was a slow start to Friday’s final practice with only one driver setting a lap time in the first 15 minutes. That was Sergio Perez, who got the timesheet rolling with a 1:41.1, but reported that the track conditions were “miles off” compared to yesterday. Liam Lawson had the same complaint as he returned to the VCARB garage after a single lap.

Several teams, including Mercedes, Aston Martin and VCARB, sent their drivers out for a lap or two, potentially to scrub tyres for the race. Max Verstappen was the second driver to post a time, but was slower than Perez after a lock-up on his out-lap and a moment at Turn 14 as he struggled for grip. Getting heat into his tyres and finding grip, Verstappen went quickest on the medium tyres. Worryingly for Red Bull, he reported that his front was “dead” after just six laps.

‘Mercedes secure practice hat-trick’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/las-ve...024-fp3-report


FP3: Russell leads Piastri and Sainz in final Las Vegas GP practice
23 Nov 2024
Formula One - Official Site

Mercedes driver George Russell led the way during Friday’s third and final practice session for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, slotting ahead of McLaren rival Oscar Piastri and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz before a late red flag. In similarly cold and slippery conditions to Thursday practice, a handful of drivers emerged in the early stages to build up speed and get back into a rhythm – albeit with Sergio Perez reporting that his first run was “miles off” given the low levels of grip.

Mercedes then wound themselves up for another run on softs, bringing a 1m 34.475s from Russell and a 1m 34.341s from Lewis Hamilton – restoring their early-weekend one-two formation as times edged closer to the 1m 33.825s benchmark in second practice. Meanwhile, Verstappen’s troubles rumbled on as the Dutchman reported that his car was “only getting worse” and becoming “undriveable”. Running harder tyres, and referencing a problematic left-front, he added: “I can’t drive it. I’m going to crash.”

‘Russell leads Piastri and Sainz’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...eHZygC7eHRyFe5


George Russell tops final practice for F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix ahead of Oscar Piastri
George Russell was fastest in final practice for the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix.
23 Nov 2024
Connor McDonagh
Crash.net

George Russell made it a clean sweep for Mercedes in practice for the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix as he set the fastest time in FP3. Russell’s 1m33.570s put him just over 0.2s ahead of Piastri ensuring Mercedes have topped all three practice sessions ahead of qualifying in Sin City.

Mercedes are surely the team to beat, with Lewis Hamilton showing strong pace earlier in the session. The seven-time world champion failed to improve on his second set of tyres, leaving him sixth in the order overall.

Carlos Sainz completed the top three for Ferrari, although he was around four-tenths off Russell’s pace. Ferrari were fastest in the race runs in FP2 - but their one-lap pace seems to be lacking relative to Mercedes.

‘Clean sweep for Mercedes’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/106059...-oscar-piastri


Max fifth in final practice for Las Vegas GP
23 Nov 2024
Misha van der Kroon
Verstappen.nl

Max Verstappen concluded the third and final free practice session for the Las Vegas Grand Prix in fifth position. While grip was initially hard to find on the slippery Las Vegas circuit, Verstappen seemed to improve in the closing stages on soft tyres.

With an outside temperature of 15 degrees, and a track temperature of 17, it is cool at the start of the third free practice session at the 6.201-kilometer long Las Vegas Strip Circuit. Zhou Guanyu, in his Sauber, is the first to head to the track, soon joined by Sergio Perez, who sets the first timed lap.

As the track conditions get betters, Verstappen progressively improves his lap times. However, while other drivers are significantly faster on the soft tyres, Verstappen struggles with an undrivable car, expressing his frustration over the team radio. Eventually, he returns to the pits. At that moment, he is at the bottom of the leaderboard.

‘Max fifth in final practice’;

https://news.verstappen.com/en/article/5663/


Norris: ‘I could drive a road car quicker’ at Las Vegas amid low-grip surface
The McLaren driver was left unhappy with his team's long run pace, struggling to deal with the low-grip track conditions
Nov 22, 2024
Nathan Hartley
FormulaNerds

Lando Norris was unhappy with McLaren’s long-run pace, claiming he could drive a road car quicker in the low-grip conditions. The 25-year-old was left frustrated after the opening two practice sessions of the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Despite finishing third and second in FP1 and FP2 respectively, the Briton described McLaren’s long-run pace as “shocking”.

The second practice session saw Norris finish only 0.011 seconds behind Lewis Hamilton at the top. However, his frustrations vented towards his team’s high fuel pace, despite the low fuel being competitive. The low track temperature caused many drivers to lock up their front tyre and go deep into a corner. Norris said that he had been struggling with front graining, which is impacting his long-run performance. The McLaren driver said:

“It’s just very difficult, super low grip. “I feel like I could drive a road car quicker than we drive at the minute… “I think the low-fuel stuff has been okay,” he explained. “The high-fuel, that was shocking. So, yeah, plenty of things to look into. This kind of combinations of things, and when we struggle with the front graining and stuff like that, I’m just not very good at it. So it’s always a bit of a struggle for me. But we’ve a good amount of time to work on it. So yeah, two halves really. Good low-fuel and difficult high-fuel.”

‘I could drive a road car quicker’;

https://www.formulanerds.com/news/no.../?nowprocket=1

[Fortitude]

George Russell on pole for Las Vegas GP, Max Verstappen qualifies ahead of Lando Norris.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen will claim the drivers’ championship title if he finishes the race anywhere ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris.
Nov 23 2024
The Irish Times

George Russell put Mercedes on pole for the Las Vegas Grand Prix as Max Verstappen moved a step closer to a fourth successive Formula One title by qualifying ahead of Lando Norris. Red Bull's Verstappen, who will retain his crown with two rounds to spare if he beats Norris on Saturday, secured fifth place on the grid with his McLaren rival sixth.

“We are still in front of McLaren, which for me is a bit of a surprise but I’m quite happy with how qualifying went and my laps,” said Verstappen. Norris must score three points more than the Dutch driver in Sunday’s race to continue the title battle in Qatar next weekend.

‘George Russell on pole’;

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/202...-lando-norris/


Las Vegas GP: Qualifying Results
Full results from Qualifying from the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix at Las Vegas Strip Circuit.
23 November 2024
Mat Coch
Speedcafe

Pos Num Driver Team Q1 Q2 Q3 Diff
1 63 George Russell Mercedes 1:33.186 1:32.779 1:32.312
2 55 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:33.484 1:32.711 1:32.410 0.098
3 10 Pierre Gasly Alpine 1:33.691 1:32.879 1:32.664 0.352
4 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:33.446 1:33.016 1:32.783 0.471
5 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 1:33.299 1:33.085 1:32.797 0.485
6 4 Lando Norris McLaren 1:33.592 1:33.099 1:33.008 0.696
7 22 Yuki Tsunoda RB 1:33.789 1:33.089 1:33.029 0.717
8 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:33.450 1:33.024 1:33.033 0.721
9 27 Nico Hulkenberg Haas 1:33.920 1:33.114
10 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:33.225 1:32.567

‘Full results’;

https://speedcafe.com/las-vegas-gp-qualifying-results/


George Russell claims dramatic pole for Las Vegas Grand Prix - but it's a dark night for Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton - as champion-in-waiting Max Verstappen finishes fifth
• Russell put in an inch-perfect lap while the seven-time champion finished 10th
• Franco Colapinto delayed qualifying with an enormous smash-up in Q2
23 Nov 2024
JONATHAN MCEVOY
MailOnline

George Russell took a blistering pole position for the Las Vegas Grand Prix – but it was another dark night for Lewis Hamilton. The tale of the old and the new, the young and the old, saw Russell put in an inch-perfect lap while Hamilton made two errors to qualify a bleak 10th.

Hamilton was 15.7sec behind Russell – a distorted figure, because the much-garlanded multiple world champion failed to set a time, but a wounding one. Some excessive hoopla celebrated Hamilton’s first places in practice yesterday as they were the Second Coming rather than a hopeful flicker of a possible upturn after a puzzlingly poor string of form.

When it came down to it, Hamilton ran wide on his first flying lap of Q3 and then another error in the decisive final blast. ‘I didn’t do the job,’ Hamilton admitted. ‘The car felt different in Q3 and stability was not there for some reason. I had stability before. But, ultimately, I didn’t put the laps together.’

‘George Russell claims dramatic pole’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...rand-prix.html


Daring George Russell takes Las Vegas GP pole as Ferrari take advantage of McLaren woes
George Russell waited until the last possible moment to take pole at the 2024 Las Vegas GP
23 Nov 2024
Adam Dickinson
Total Motorsport

George Russell snatched pole position for the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix at the last possible moment, edging out Carlos Sainz by less than a tenth in qualifying while Pierre Gasly will start a heady third after splitting the Ferraris.

Lando Norris knows he must beat Max Verstappen by at least three points to keep the Formula 1 drivers’ championship alive and starts alongside the Dutchman on the third row of the grid but behind his rival by just 0.014 seconds.

However, it was a desperately disappointing for Lewis Hamilton who topped FP1 and FP2 but fell apart in Q3, locking up on his first run and also failing to set a competitive time to take the chequered flag, finishing 10th.

‘Daring George Russell’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/dar...illiams-shunt/


Verstappen chasing down the title, and a wide open battle for victory – What To Watch For in the Las Vegas Grand Prix
23 Nov 2024
Formula One - Official Site

From a wide open race at the front to the potential crowning of a world champion, and from Franco Colapinto’s recovery from a heavy crash to unusually low temperatures for drivers to be racing in, here are five things to watch out for under the lights in Las Vegas on race day…

1. Anyone from the top six taking the win
Ahead of qualifying, Christian Horner said that any driver on the front three rows would fancy their chances of winning on Saturday night, and there’s little reason to disagree with him after the session.

‘Verstappen chasing down the title’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...iUyiRM9JZ1rTxR


Las Vegas Grand Prix qualifying delayed after Franco Colapinto's nasty crash leaves track covered in debris
23 Nov 2024
JAKE FENNER
MailOnline

Towards the end of the Q2 session, Colapinto was making his way through turn 16 on the Las Vegas street circuit when he lost control of his car in the left side wall.

Colapinto's car then skidded across the track colliding with the opposite wall before continuing to slide down the circuit before coming to a complete stop. The 21-year-old driver was able to get out of the car completely fine - telling his garage 'I'm ok'.

The wreck left plenty of debris all over the track as carbon fiber and one of Colapinto's tires were left behind him. Additionally, the impact of the wreck forced marshals to examine the barriers for any damage that might have needed repairing.

‘Qualifying delayed’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...rand-prix.html


Franco Colapinto participation in jeopardy after 50G Las Vegas GP quali crash
23 Nov 2024
Thomas Maher
PlanetF1.com

Franco Colapinto has escaped serious injury in a frightening crash in qualifying for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, but isn’t certain to race. The Williams driver was involved in a heavy crash at the end of Q2 in qualifying for the Las Vegas GP.

Colapinto was attempting to escape the elimination zone at the end of Q2 and was approaching the end of his final flying lap when he turned in slightly too early for the high-speed Turn 15. Realising his error, Colapinto briefly turned away before recommitting to the apex, but was still too early – he glanced the inside wall and knocked off his front-left wheel.

The impact was enough to throw Colapinto into the wall on the outside, enduring a heavy impact with onboard replays showing Colapinto’s head bouncing around the cockpit. The car skittered down the track minus all of its corners, with Colapinto unable to bring it under control as he waited for the Williams to dissipate its momentum.

‘50G Las Vegas GP quali crash’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/franco...gas-grand-prix

[Fortitude]

Mercedes, McLaren, Red Bull or… Alpine? Carlos Sainz picks Ferrari’s biggest threat in 2024 Las Vegas GP.
No driver got within a quarter of a second of the front row of the grid in the 2024 Las Vegas GP as George Russell and Carlos Sainz set the pace for Mercedes and Ferrari
23 Nov 2024
Adam Dickinson
Total Motorsport

Carlos Sainz predicted Ferrari will be fighting Mercedes for victory in the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix, though didn’t rule out any teams in the top six after a hectic qualifying delivered shocks up and down the grid.

The Silver Arrows have led every session of the weekend so far and George Russell took pole position ahead of the two Ferraris sandwiching Pierre Gasly, while the last two remaining title contenders line up together on the third row of the grid led by Max Verstappen.

Mercedes have had a track record of overperforming in free practice compared to the competitive sessions in 2024 but while Lewis Hamilton fell to last place and 15 seconds off the pace in Q3, Russell showed no such qualifying dip in Las Vegas.

‘Mercedes, McLaren, Red Bull or… Alpine?’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/mer...-las-vegas-gp/


George Russell admits 'my body is all over the place' after Las Vegas Grand Prix pole
Nov 23, 2024
Philip Duncan
Daily and Sunday Express

The first attempt saw Russell clipping the wall at Turn 5, resulting in a need for a new front wing. However, undeterred, the English driver – who impressively leads Lewis Hamilton with a 17-5 qualifying advantage this season – composed himself and on his second try, edged past Sainz by a margin of 0.098 seconds.

Crossing the finish line at exactly 11:24pm local time, Russell later disclosed: "I got 45 minutes sleep before qualifying. The body is all over the place. I sleep when I can and I listen to my body.

"I normally try and meditate as opposed to sleeping. I close my eyes and listen to waves crashing against the sea, or do breathing exercises, box-breathing, it relaxes my mind and takes the pressure off. It is challenging working what is an effective night shift so sleeping when I can is working for me."

‘0.098 seconds’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...rand-prix-pole


I should have taken pole, winning is “out of the question” now – Hamilton
23rd Nov 2024
Keith Collantine
RaceFans

Lewis Hamilton said his chances of winning the Las Vegas Grand Prix are non-existent after he qualified 10th on the grid for tomorrow’s race. “Things didn’t work when it mattered,” Hamilton admitted after the session. “I tried, it didn’t come off. I should have been on pole,” he told the official F1 channel. “But at least I’ve got pace, which is a good showing over the weekend, that’s the positive to take away.”

Hamilton does not believe he can get into the fight for victory from the fifth row of the grid. "Not really, I think the race is kind of done,” he said. “Obviously the win is out of the question. But just a great job from George.”

“Non-existent”;

https://www.racefans.net/2024/11/23/...-now-hamilton/


Vasseur wants to avoid 2023 scenario: 'I want to win!'
23 Nov 2024
Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com

Frederic Vasseur, Ferrari's team principal, is determined to be have one of their cars on the top step of the podium at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. A scenario like last year is out of the question, according to the French team principal.

When Vasseur was asked about the SF-24's race pace on Sunday, the Frenchman joked: "Yes, I hope that we won't be the faster on Sunday" (in Las Vegas, the Grand Prix will begin on Saturday local time), he told F1TV.

He then continued on a more serious note. "It's true that from the beginning of the season we had the probably a better car on the race pace, and not the qualifying pace. It's probably the consequence of what [we did] last year, that we put a lot of effort on the race pace and you have always a downside to everything, it means that we have to make some compromise on the qualifying."

'I want to win!';

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31430...erstappen.html


Pierre Gasly hails ‘incredible’ Alpine turnaround to qualify third for F1 Las Vegas GP
23 Nov 2024
Dan Lawrence
Motorsport Week

“Yeah, it’s absolutely incredible, you know, as a team,” Gasly exclaimed. “Exactly as you mentioned, we started Bahrain on the last row with both cars, and all of a sudden, the last few weeks have been quite a change.”

“I’m really happy and pleased with the work the team has been doing in a season where everything looked impossible, just to still stick together and put some more performance in that car.”

“Going into qualifying today, I must admit we never thought we’d be in a position to actually you know get in that top three, but yeah, I managed to have a very special lap at the right time on that last set in Q3 and uh yeah it’s a it’s a very nice surprise.”

“It’s absolutely incredible”;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2024/...g-performance/


Gasly credits “aggressive” set-up for Alpine’s best performance this year
23rd Nov 2024
Keith Collantine
RaceFans

In the last five races, the team has produced three of its strongest performances in terms of one-lap pace. They’ve been 0.92% off the pace on average over that time, a huge improvement over the same five-race spell at the beginning of the year, where their deficit stood at 1.97% – more than twice as much.

“It’s absolutely incredible,” grinned Gasly after qualifying today. “We started Bahrain on the last row with both cars, and all of a sudden, the last few weeks have been quite a change. I’m really happy and pleased with the work the team has been doing in a season where everything looked impossible, just to still stick together and put some more performance in that car,” Gasly continued. “Going into qualifying today, I must admit we never thought we’ll be in a position to actually get in that top three, but I managed to have a very special lap at the right time on that last set in Q3 and it’s a very nice surprise.”

He credited the result to the team’s set-up for the high-speed circuit. “We went with a pretty aggressive package in terms of downforce, so we are running very little downforce around this track,” said Gasly. “We try to maximise the straight lines, we obviously make our lives slightly harder in the corners.”

‘Running very little downforce’;

https://www.racefans.net/2024/11/23/...nce-this-year/


Horner expects exciting race in Las Vegas: 'The top eight can win!'
23rd Nov 2024
Kada Sarkozi
GPblog.com

It was an interesting qualifying session for Red Bull Racing in Las Vegas. While Sergio Perez got eliminated in Q1, Max Verstappen managed to outqualify his title rival Lando Norris and finished in P5. Team principal Christian Horner reacted to qualifying in Las Vegas, where the Dutch driver could secure his fourth F1 title in less than a day's time.

"A tricky qualifying," Horner began after the session, Red Bull report. "The low temperatures and track are challenge with our tyres. Our performance has been improving with each session and we are starting to find where we have lost but the window for the tyres is still quite small," he then continued with the challenges the Las Vegas track causes for his team.

"Max managed to lay down a good time and I know he was hoping to be higher up the grid but this track, you can definitely overtake at and the way the tyres behave between qualifying and the race are totally different challenges, anybody in the top four rows can win this race and it will be very exciting to see how it plays tomorrow," Horner concluded.

'The top eight can win!';

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31430...ualifying.html


Horner explains Red Bull rear-wing issue: 'We did not forget'
It seems the cost cap has a lot to answer for.
23 Nov 2024
Ian Parkes
RacingNews365

Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Horner said: "I don't know quite where it came from. We don't have a specifically designed wing for very low downforce, which is potentially here and Monza.”

"The money involved in creating that within the cost cap, you've got to pick and choose where you're going to spend it. The wing that we have, you end up trimming the wings to achieve a top speed, and that's what many of the teams have done. But we didn't forget our rear wing."

'We did not forget';

https://racingnews365.com/horner-exp...did-not-forget


Reviewed: Williams' painful multi-million dollar crash list
23 Nov 2024
Jake Nichol
RacingNews365

Williams' recent crash misery in F1 has continued with a heavy accident for Franco Colapinto in qualifying for the Las Vegas Grand Prix. It is the seventh major incident for the team since the United States Grand Prix.

With a damage bill now totalling millions, RacingNews365 takes a look at every crash sustained by the team in 2024, whilst estimating that the total stands at around the $20 million mark, if not more.

‘Multi-million dollar crash list’;

https://racingnews365.com/reviewed-w...lar-crash-list

[Fortitude]

George Russell cruises to Las Vegas GP victory ahead of champion Max Verstappen and resurgent Lewis Hamilton.
George Russell led an unlikely Mercedes 1-2 at the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton stormed from tenth to the podium, while fifth-placed Max Verstappen clinched his fourth consecutive world championship with a calculated drive.
24 Nov 2024
Adam Dickinson
Total Motorsport

The Dutchman joins an elite group of just five other legendary drivers to win more than three Formula 1 titles, and held the net lead over his only rival Lando Norris throughout the race.

But the race itself was all about Mercedes, who recorded their first 1-2 since the 2022 Brazilian GP with Russell barely challenged aside from a brief push from Leclerc in the first stint.

With the hard tyre going unused in free practice, heavier graining than expected turned it into a two-stop that put Verstappen into second at one stage, before Hamilton and the Ferraris surged in the final stint with the Dutchman focussing on his championship battle.

‘George Russell cruises’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/geo...ewis-hamilton/


Las Vegas GP: Race Results
Full results from the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix at Las Vegas Strip Circuit.
24 Nov 2024
Mat Coch
Speedcafe

Full results from the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix at Las Vegas Strip Circuit.

Pos Num Driver Team Laps/Diff
1 63 George Russell Mercedes 50
2 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 7.313
3 55 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 11.906
4 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 14.283
5 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 16.582
6 4 Lando Norris McLaren 43.385
7 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren 51.365
8 27 Nico Hulkenberg Haas 59.808
9 22 Yuki Tsunoda RB 62.808
10 11 Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing 63.114

‘Full results’;

https://speedcafe.com/las-vegas-gp-race-results/


George Russell cancels flight and shares Las Vegas Grand Prix party plans with Toto Wolff
George Russell won the Las Vegas Grand Prix and plans to celebrate in style.
Nov 24, 2024
Jack McEachen
Daily and Sunday Express

George Russell announced that he would be cancelling his flight out of Las Vegas to celebrate long into the night, having taken the race win with Lewis Hamilton behind in a Mercedes one-two. The Brit won his second race of the season in relative ease, as attention was drawn elsewhere with Max Verstappen holding Lando Norris off to claim a fourth consecutive title.

There will be two parties in Sin City tonight, one led by Russell and he promised to include Silver Arrows team principal Toto Wolff after axing his schedule to leave hours after the Grand Prix. "I was planning on flying in a couple of hours," he said in his post-race interview. "But I'm definitely not getting on that flight! I will enjoy this evening with all my team. It's been a dream of a weekend. I don't know how I've been so quick but I'm just enjoying this ride right now.”

‘Cancels flight and shares Las Vegas Grand Prix party plans’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...Mercedes-party


Verstappen captures 4th F1 championship after Mercedes sweep of Las Vegas Grand Prix
23 Nov 2024
ASSOCIATED PRESS
MailOnline

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Max Verstappen cruised to a fourth consecutive Formula 1 championship on Saturday night by finishing fifth in the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Verstappen needed only to finish ahead of Lando Norris of McLaren to give Red Bull a fourth straight driver championship. The Dutchman started fifth but was already up to second by the 10th lap around the street circuit that includes the famed Las Vegas Strip.

He ended the race up 63 points over Norris with two events remaining this season. "Max Verstappen you are a four-time world champion," team principal Christian Horner said on the radio. "That is a phenomenal, phenomenal achievement. You can be incredibly proud of yourself as we are." Verstappen, only the sixth driver in F1 history to win at least four titles, sounded unusually emotional on the radio. "Oh My God, what a season. Four times. Thank you, thank you guys," he said. "We gave it all."

‘Historic fourth F1 drivers' title’;

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap...mpionship.html


George Russell wins F1 Las Vegas GP as Max Verstappen ends Lando Norris title hopes
Max Verstappen needed to finish ahead of Lando Norris to secure the championship at the Las Vegas Grand Prix though both started a few places back from pole-sitter George Russell
24 Nov 2024
Daniel Moxon
The Mirror

George Russell dominated the Las Vegas Grand Prix to take victory on the day Max Verstappen secured his status as a four-time F1 champion. Russell qualified on pole and led the race from start to finish. And Mercedes pulled off a strategy masterclass to help Lewis Hamilton cut through from 10th on the grid to finish second, ahead of Carlos Sainz.

It was also a red-letter day for Verstappen who only finished fifth but it was a result good enough to secure his status as a four-time F1 champion. Lando Norris finished one place behind in sixth which was not good enough to keep his slim title hopes alive.

The Red Bull racer joined the top three finishers in a special car ride from parc ferme round to a specially-constructed podium in front of the Bellagio hotel, which put on a lights show using its famous fountains to celebrate the end of another entertaining Las Vegas race.

‘George Russell wins’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...esult-34175329


2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix: Max Verstappen clinches title number four under the Las Vegas lights
• 24 Nov 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Max Verstappen crosses the line in fifth place to seal his fourth consecutive drivers’ title.

‘Title number four’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/video/20...88871133004980


2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix: Perez pulls off brilliant double overtake to take two cars in one corner
24 Nov 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Sergio Perez pulled off a superb move on Lap 38 to overtake Liam Lawson and Kevin Magnussen in one corner, to move up to P12 for Red Bull.

‘Perez pulls off brilliant double overtake’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/video/20...87664485120540


Brad Pitt 'faints' on track at F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix as remarkable footage emerges
A-List actor Brad Pitt was at the Las Vegas Grand Prix to film scenes for his new movie about Formula 1 and footage has emerged of the 60-year-old 'fainting' while on the track
23 Nov 2024
Matthew Cooper
The Mirror

Hollywood star Brad Pitt 'fainted' while at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, with the actor filming scenes for his new Formula 1 movie ahead of the race. George Russell sealed pole position for the race in Vegas, Pitt was out on the track to film a scene as his character Sonny Hayes.

In footage captured by fans at the circuit, Pitt was seen hobbling away from the scene of a crash before collapsing onto a padded mat on the ground. APX GP, the fictional team Pitt's character drives for, even released a mock statement addressing the crash. "During qualifying, Sonny sustained a significant impact requiring immediate medical evaluation," it read.

"Incidents of this magnitude are always taken seriously, and Sonny's health remains our top priority. While Sonny is otherwise stable, he will not participate in tomorrow's race as he focuses on recovery. The entire team stands behind him, and we'll provide updates when available. Joshua [Pearce, played by Idris] will race solo tomorrow, carrying the team forward."

‘Remarkable footage emerges’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...vegas-34175017

[Fortitude]

Max Verstappen pays tribute to Red Bull as ‘I’m still hungry’ vow made.
Max Verstappen paid tribute to the Milton Keynes-based squad which has made him a quadruple World Champion.
24 Nov 2024
Thomas Maher
PlanetF1.com

“It’s been a long season,” Verstappen said after the chequered flag. “We started off amazing, it was almost like cruising but then we had a tough run. But, as a team, we kept it together.”

“We kept working on improvements, and we pulled it over the line. I’m incredibly proud of everyone, what they have done for me. To stand here as a four-time world champion is something that I never thought was possible. So I’m just feeling relieved, in a way, but also very proud.”

“I mean, we have been through a lot together, and all these highs that we are achieving right now is just very, very special to do that with all the group of people that we have here at the track and back at the factory that they’re continuously pushing flat out to give me the car to fight for a title and to do that four times in a row is very special.”

‘Tribute to Red Bull’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/max-ve...gas-grand-prix


Domenicali congratulates Verstappen on world title: 'He is a great man'
24 Nov 2024
Sandy van Wijngaarden
GPblog.com

Max Verstappen won his fourth world title in Las Vegas. Immediately after the Grand Prix, the Dutchman was congratulated by Stefano Domenicali, Formula 1's CEO.

Verstappen finished fifth, but beat his closest rival to become a four-time world champion. The Formula One CEO had some nice words for the Red Bull Racing driver in a statement. "I want to congratulate Max on an incredible season and his fourth world title," Domenicali said.

"He is a true great of this sport and has so much more to look forward to in his impressive career. This season has been thrilling and 2025 looks set to be even closer. Congratulations Max and congratulations to all the team at Red Bull," the statement concluded.

'He is a great man';

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31454...rld-title.html


‘They had’: The ‘lovely’ Lando Norris and Max Verstappen moment in the media pen after the Las Vegas Grand Prix
24 Nov 2024
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer

Lando Norris and Max Verstappen share touching moment at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Norris finished one position behind Verstappen but did clinch the fastest lap for McLaren which could prove pivotal in the Constructors’ Championship.

As Norris didn’t finish on the podium, he only saw Verstappen in the media pen and F1TV journalist Lawrence Barretto shared the moment they met on social media. He said: “Lovely moment in the pen when Norris came in to congratulate Verstappen. They had a hug and a little chat.”

Verstappen then spoke about that moment with Barretto and said: “It’s very nice that he came back into the pen to congratulate me and I think that’s how it should be. “We’ve had a lot of moments together and of course, these things we discussed already, I told him your time will come one day, you have to be patient.”

‘Norris came in to congratulate Verstappen’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/the...as-grand-prix/


Verstappen relieved to seal fourth world championship
Max Verstappen was relieved to claim his fourth Formula 1 world drivers’ championship after finishing fifth in the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
24 Nov 2024
Mat Coch
Speedcafe

Needing to cede fewer than three points to Lando Norris to wrap up the title in Vegas, Verstappen instead outscored his rival to seal his fourth crown. It’s a result that comes after a strong start to the year in which he netted seven wins from the opening 10 races. However, he then went winless from the Spanish Grand Prix in June until the Sprint at the United States Grand Prix in October.

“It’s been a long season,” said Verstappen, who secured the title at Round 22 of 24. We started off amazing, it was almost like cruising, but then we had a tough run. But as a team, we kept it together. We kept working on improvements.”

“I mean, got to be proud of everyone, what they have done for me. To stand here as a four-time world champion is, of course, something that I never thought was possible. So yeah, at the moment, just feeling relieved in a way, but also very proud.”

‘Relieved’;

https://speedcafe.com/verstappen-rel...-championship/


Norris left in awe of Verstappen: 'He has no negatives'
24 Nov 2024
Matt Gretton
GPblog.com

Lando Norris is in awe of Max Verstappen, who can't find a way to fault the Dutchman. The Red Bull driver secured a fourth (consecutive) World Championship by beating Norris in the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The Brit claims Verstappen's season was "relatively easy".

"Massive congrats to him. He's deserved it. He's not put a foot wrong really the whole year. That's a strength of his. He has no downsides. He has no negatives. When he's had the quickest car, he dominated races. When he's not in the quickest car, he's still been just behind us and almost winning the races anyway. He's just not had a bad side to him. He's not had any bad races the whole year. He's just drove as Max has always driven, which is perfectly, and can't fault him anyway," Norris told GPblog and others in Las Vegas.

'He has no negatives';

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31456...title-win.html


Heartbreak for Gasly: Engine breaks and ruins chance of a good result
24 Nov 2024
Matt Gretton
GPblog.com

Pierre Gasly expected a positive result with a P3 start in qualifying, but he was let down by his Renault engine, which broke just before the halfway point in the Las Vegas Grand Prix. A puff of smoke was seen coming out of the Alpine car, and that was met with a frustrated radio message from the Frenchman.

Gasly became the first driver to retire from the race. The Alpine driver started from P3 and looked set to score crucial points in the 'Sin City'. Alpine lifted themselves up to P6 after a double podium in Brazil but face stern competition for the prize money. Gasly's teammate, Esteban Ocon, is sat firmly outside the points after 20 laps in the United States.

‘Heartbreak for Gasly’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31448...rand-prix.html


Toto Wolff calls for car understanding after ‘crushed everyone’ Las Vegas victory verdict
24 Nov 2024
Henry Valantine
PlanetF1.com

“It’s really nice if one would understand these cars, because today we really crushed everyone, dominant,” Wolff told Sky F1 after the race.

“We could have gone easily faster. We were at times two seconds quicker than everybody else, and I’m really happy – the team deserves it. We’ve worked so hard in Brackley and in Brixworth and here at the race team, so that’s a great day.”

When asked if that meant Mercedes did not understand why they were so fast in Las Vegas this weekend, Wolff replied: “No, we do, I think it’s just when you design a car and you put it on track, generally, you try to have it good at every track.

‘Car understanding’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/toto-w...e-las-vegas-gp


Lance Stroll blighted by unusual problem at F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix
Lance Stroll and Aston Martin forced to react on the fly
24 Nov 2024
James Dielhenn
Crash.Net

Aston Martin and Stroll were forced to react on the fly when it became clear his communication tool was not functioning. “I don’t know whether the transmission didn’t work. I am sure that the helmet was fine,” Kravitz said.

“But Lance didn’t have radio for the whole race. That was a bit of a problem when you consider that he started down the grid, and needed to get back. They had to communicate with Lance with the old way - with a pit board, to tell him when to come in and change various buttons that they needed him to change.”

‘Blighted by unusual problem’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/106071...gas-grand-prix

[Fortitude]

Why Verstappen's 2024 Title Success Is His Greatest Yet - F1 Las Vegas GP Analysis.
Max Verstappen is your 2024 Drivers's Champion! Following a tough start to the weekend for Red Bull, Max fought hard to claim his 4th consecutive title from Lando Norris, whilst Mercedes finished in Las Vegas in style claiming a 1-2 finish, closely followed by Carlos Sainz.
24.11.24
Motorsport.com

But what makes this title Max's greatest one so far? And what does this mean for the rest of the F1 2024 season?

‘Greatest Yet’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/video/...alysis/657157/


F1 - 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix Post-Race Press Conference Transcript
24.11.24
FIA (Press Release)

Q: There's no better place to celebrate a big win than Vegas. Any plans tonight? George RUSSELL: You tell me! I'm sure where you're going, it's going to be a good party. So I was planning on flying in a couple of hours, but I'm definitely not getting on that flight. And I'm going to enjoy this evening with all my team. It's been a dream of a weekend. I don't know how we've been so quick, but I'm just riding this wave right now.

Q: Lewis, obviously yesterday, it was a tough one to swallow, I'm guessing. You've been quick all weekend. But then starting P10, chasing down George at the end, it was fun. We were biting our nails. There was some action out there. Lewis HAMILTON: That was great. Well, firstly, I've got to say a big congratulations to Max, winning the championship, still with several races to go. And if I'd done my job yesterday, it would have been a breeze today. but it's OK, I had fun coming from the back, coming from 10th and the team did a fantastic job. We don't know why we were so quick this weekend but that's the nice. That's the best the car has ever felt, so I'm grateful to have been a part of getting it to that point.

Q: Carlos, congratulations. That looked like an interesting race. We didn't really know what was going on with the tyres. I'm guessing it was just as difficult for you guys, graining on both sets of tyres. The unusual pit entry, not pit entry. How did it end up for you? Carlos SAINZ: Yeah, it was a bit of a shock, you know, the Mediums. I was expecting to be quite strong on this tyre, but I think it lasted something like eight, nine laps on me. And then from there onwards, it was just a damage limitation race. You know, I was not comfortable with the car, not strong today. I wish I would have been a bit quicker and would have been fighting with George for the win, but we just simply didn't have it in ourselves today. So we came back with a P3, a podium that is not enough for what we expected, but the maximum that we could do today.

Q: Time for the world champion, Max Verstappen. Listen, first of all, you know, you were my introduction into F1 in Budapest, and I'm hooked forever. And how does this feel, man? I mean, this great accomplishment you've done today. Talk to us right now. Max VESRTAPPEN: Yeah, it's been a long season. And of course, we started off amazing. It was almost like cruising, but then we had a tough run. But as a team, we kept it together. We kept working on improvements. And yeah, we pulled over the line. I mean, incredibly proud of everyone, what they have done for me. And to stand here as a four-time world champion is of course something that I never thought was possible. So yeah, at the moment, just feeling relieved in a way, but also very proud.

‘Press Conference Transcript’;

https://www.fia.com/news/f1-2024-las...nce-transcript


Las Vegas Grand Prix in pictures: Late nights, champagne, glitz & glamour
Nov 24, 2024
ESPN

LAS VEGAS -- After weeks of controversy, angry local feedback and even criticism from reigning world champion Max Vertstappen himself, the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix produced the best race of the 2023 season. Not only that, it delivered the most financially lucrative weekend in Sin City's long and storied history, eclipsing even February's Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium.

The eye-watering numbers were historic. A Clark County report issued in April totaled the economic benefits from the first race race at $1.5 billion, while $77 million was generated in tax revenue. To give those staggering figures some context, Super Bowl LVIII totaled overall economic impacts at $1 billion, with $33.6 million generated in taxes.

Outdrawing America's biggest sporting event was not something F1 had dared predict 12 months ago. It was a massive vindication on a project that cost the series an estimated $400 million. Most impressive to those on the Las Vegas side is that the debut race managed to do something previously considered impossible: generating big bucks the weekend before Thanksgiving, traditionally the leanest on the calendar in terms of revenue.

‘Most financially lucrative weekend in Sin City's long and storied history’;

https://www.espn.com/racing/f1/story...p-deliver-more


‘Magnificent’: David Croft loved ‘vintage’ Sergio Perez moment during Las Vegas Grand Prix amid Red Bull pressure
24 Nov 2024
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer

The Las Vegas Grand Prix was another tale of two drivers for Red Bull Racing. Max Verstappen secured his fourth consecutive championship by finishing ahead of Lando Norris and giving his Red Bull colleagues an excuse to enjoy Las Vegas on Saturday night. Unfortunately, teammate Sergio Perez had another difficult weekend as he snuck into the top 10.

As Perez was trying to make his way through the midfield, he came across a battle between Liam Lawson and Kevin Magnussen. Perez and Lawson have had run-ins before, but on this occasion, he used the slipstream from both drivers going into turn 11 to pass both drivers. Reacting to the move, Croft said: “There goes Sergio Perez, down the inside, three into one corner doesn’t normally go, it does this time!”

“Thank you, Sergio Perez, that was absolutely magnificent! That’s what we want to see from you, he’s up into 12th place ahead of Lawson and ahead of Magnussen and Alonso ahead of Ocon a little bit earlier. That was vintage Sergio Perez there!” Brundle replied: “Tremendous driving yeah, they were busy squabbling and he just eased off the brakes and went up the inside and kept it together. Lovely driving from Sergio Perez.”

‘Magnificent’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/dav...bull-pressure/


Real reason behind why Brad Pitt ‘fainted’ on track at F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix
F1 fans saw Brad Pitt 'collapse' at the Las Vegas Grand Prix
24 Nov 2024
Anish Vij
LADbible

All has been explained after F1 fans were shocked to see Brad Pitt 'faint' on the track at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. A number of Hollywood A-listers and celebs attended the highly-anticipated showdown on Saturday (23 November), which is a pretty normal thing at big sporting events. But after George Russel secured the top spot in Vegas, the 60-year-old made his way out on to the track and seemingly fell over.

However, the actor was indeed only acting for his new F1 movie. The Fight Club star has attended multiple races this year, taking on the role of fictional driver Sonny Hayes. APX GP, the fictional team Pitt's character drives for, even released a statement following the 'incident'.

"During qualifying, Sonny sustained a significant impact requiring immediate medical evaluation," it read. Incidents of this magnitude are always taken seriously, and Sonny's health remains our top priority. While Sonny is otherwise stable, he will not participate in tomorrow's race as he focuses on recovery. Fans were concerned for the actor (X) "The entire team stands behind him, and we'll provide updates when available. Joshua [Pearce, played by Idris] will race solo tomorrow, carrying the team forward." The upcoming movie will be led by Joseph Kosinski, known for directing Tom Cruise's Top Gun: Maverick.

‘All has been explained’;

https://www.ladbible.com/entertainme...87390-20241124


“Extreme” changes cured McLaren’s lack of race pace – but it was too late
24th November 2024
Keith Collantine

The Las Vegas Grand Prix looked like being McLaren’s least competitive outing since the Japanese Grand Prix back in April. Two-thirds of the way through the race, at which point the front-runners had all completed their first two pit stops, the leading McLaren of Lando Norris was already the best part of half a minute of eventual winner George Russell in his Mercedes.

But Norris’s third stint was significantly more competitive. Within a few laps he was quicker than Verstappen and he was soon gaining on the Ferrari drivers as well. As the stint wore on Norris was the fastest driver on-track at times. Team principal Andrea Stella said McLaren tried some drastic changes when Norris replaced his hard tyres, which paid off.

“Coming to Vegas we expected it to be a bit of a struggle,” he told Sky after the race. “This concern materialised in qualifying and in the race. In the race, in the first two stints, we were just fighting front graining. There was no way that we could stop this phenomenon happening.”

“Extreme”;

https://www.racefans.net/2024/11/24/...-was-too-late/

[Fortitude]

Horner thanks Red Bull for late nights after Verstappen's fourth title.
"I am incredibly grateful for all the work and late nights that went into this success and everyone back in Milton Keynes can be proud of their hand in this championship.” Christian Horner
25 Nov 2024
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical

Commenting on Verstappen's fourth F1 drivers' title, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said that the Dutchman has impressed him by how he worked together with the engineers to try to find a remedy for the RB20's issues.
"This marks the culmination of an epic campaign and a fantastic win for Max. Not just today but throughout an uncompromising year and at times without the necessary tools at his disposal. He has inspired in the cockpit but out of it also. The way he has conducted himself and the way he has worked with the engineers and wider team has been phenomenal.”

"Together with 2021, this was one of the toughest years the Team have experienced. But Max has once again elevated himself to another level of exceptionalism. He’s won more than double the races of any other driver, mounting a formidable campaign and at times having to overcome insurmountable margins. On the days when we didn’t deliver a win or when he had everything thrown at him, he has still delivered points. He has been extraordinary.”

‘Incredibly grateful’;

https://www.f1technical.net/news/25892


Horner feared Verstappen's fourth F1 title was slipping away in Monza
September's Monza weekend was Red Bull's lowest point of 2024, before Max Verstappen stabilised his lead over Lando Norris
Nov 25, 2024
Filip CleerenRonald Vording
Motorsport.com

Red Bull Formula 1 team boss Christian Horner admitted he felt Max Verstappen's fourth world championship was looking like a tall order by September's Italian Grand Prix, in the face of McLaren's resurgence. When asked if he agreed with Verstappen's assessment that, for 70 percent of the year, Red Bull didn't have the quickest car, Horner replied: "I would say it's about right. Since Miami, I would say that was a turning point.”

"The car was very difficult to drive, but he was able to adapt and get the most out of it. I think we've improved it in latter races, but certainly around Monza time, it looked like the championship was slipping away. There was still a long way of the championship to go, and we had a significant disadvantage to McLaren, Ferrari and even the Mercedes at that point."

"The engineers have worked tirelessly, and the men and women behind the scenes have worked long hours, early mornings, weekends to keep getting performance to the car," he said. "For me, a real turning point was Austin, getting a sprint race victory there, getting on the front row for the grand prix, the podium that he scored there. And then, of course, Brazil…”

‘Monza weekend was Red Bull's lowest point of 2024’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/h...onza/10676298/


Dutch media showcase Verstappen: 'A Dutch hegemony in Formula 1'
Nov 25, 2024
Estéban den Toom
GPblog.com

The Algemeen Dagblad: "And that's four!" the Algemeen Dagblad wrote. The front page of the sports section features a Verstappen holding a large gin and tonic. The morning newspaper first starts with a quote from the Red Bull driver himself and then explains the photo. "Not bad eh? Max Verstappen toasts his fourth world title and puts his grand achievement into words with great sense of understatement. A Dutch hegemony in Formula 1, what a wealth."

De Telegraaf: De Telegraaf also published the Monday newspaper with Verstappen prominently on the first page. "Max celebrates fourth!" was the headline on the front page. Below that, the text continued about the Dutchman in the top class of motorsport. "World champion! For the fourth season in a row, Max Verstappen leaves no doubt who the best driver in Formula 1 is: the 27-year-old Limburger from Red Bull Racing."

The Volkskrant: De Volkskrant also had Verstappen on the front page in its sports section. "Four in a row," the odds headline read. "Max Verstappen made history on Sunday by becoming world champion for the fourth consecutive year in the most important racing class, Formula 1. Why was it unexpectedly difficult this year?", referring to the sports section article.

‘Dutch media showcase Verstappen’;

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/31476...ng-papers.html


Dutch Royal Family issue statement after Max Verstappen wins another F1 title
Max Verstappen has received some royal praise after his crowning moment.
Nov 25, 2024
Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express

The Dutch Royal Family issued a statement in the wake of Max Verstappen’s title-winning moment at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, congratulating the 27-year-old on his fourth Drivers’ Championship crown.

In a statement released on social media, the Dutch Royal Family wrote: “With great pleasure, we congratulate Max Verstappen on the fourth consecutive world title in Formula One!”

“Despite a difficult start this weekend in Las Vegas, he drove a solid race and stayed well ahead of his closest competitor. Together with his team, he showed experience and quality. With two races to go, he has already extended his world title. Congratulations again on this impressive achievement!”

‘Dutch Royal Family issue statement’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...oyal-Family-F1


'A beast': Gianpiero Lambiase highlights one thing that F1 rivals must find ‘frightening’ about Max Verstappen
25 Nov 2024
Rory Mitchell
F1 Oversteer

Reflecting on their fourth title-winning year together, Verstappen’s engineer Gianpiero Lambiase has highlighted one thing that his rivals will find ‘frightening’ when speaking to Viaplay. Lambiase, who has worked with Verstappen since he joined Red Bull in 2016, has highlighted why he thinks his rivals will find it tough to beat him when the field converges even more in 2025.

“This is the problem for the other drivers, about Max, he is a beast that just keeps on improving year on year,” said Lambiase. “Just when you think he’s reached his peak he takes another step. That must be frightening for everyone up and down the grid.”

'A beast';

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/gia...ax-verstappen/


'Emergency measures': Red Bull used ‘crude solution’ to help Max Verstappen win the F1 title at the Las Vegas Grand Prix
25 Nov 2024
Shay Rogers
F1 Oversteer

Red Bull completed rear wing ‘bodge job’ in Las Vegas. Faced with the prospect of losing up to six-tenths per second every lap on the straights, Red Bull brought a dramatic solution to the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Due to cost cap reasons, Red Bull doesn’t have a low downforce specification rear wing, which is important at a circuit like Vegas.

They decided to cut parts of their normal rear wing off to reduce drag, at the cost of less DRS efficiency and downforce, which The Race’s Scott Mitchell-Malm went into more detail about on their YouTube channel. “It came with an unusual bodge job on his car,” he said. “Red Bull has been on the back foot a lot over the second half of 2024 and performed plenty of on-site troubleshooting across many races.”

“But, it took emergency measures to a new extreme in Vegas with a crude solution to the glaring rear wing problem it encountered on the first day of practice. Red Bull’s rear wing was too big for the demands of the track layout.”

‘RB20B… …B for ‘Bodge’!’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/red...as-grand-prix/

[Fortitude]

McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull battle for F1 constructors' championship with two weekends to race.
With two grands prix and one sprint race remaining in the longest season in F1 history, there are still three teams in contention for the world championship.
25 Nov 2024
Michael Doyle
ABC Online

McLaren holds a 24-point lead over Ferrari... While Stella has confidence the final two rounds — in Qatar and Abu Dhabi — will be favourable to their car, the competitiveness of this season between McLaren, Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes, which picked up a 1-2 in Las Vegas, means nothing is certain. "Qatar and Abu Dhabi should be more suitable ground for the MCL38 but there are four teams in contention for victory all of the time," he said.

"That's great for Formula 1 but it means we have to be performing at our absolute best if we are to win the constructors' championship." There is a maximum of 103 points a constructor can win in the final two race weekends. Qatar will hold a grand prix and a sprint race this weekend, before Abu Dhabi's season finale grand prix the following weekend.

‘24-point lead’;

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-...ship/104645274


Piastri concedes Ferrari’s Las Vegas points haul is ‘not ideal’ in tight constructors’ battle
25 Nov 2024
Formula One - Official Site

McLaren driver Oscar Piastri has admitted that Ferrari’s strong showing in Las Vegas wasn’t what the team were hoping for in the tense fight for the constructors’ title, but believes that “it could have been worse”.

“We knew that this would probably be a trickier track for us and we expected Ferrari to be strong,” Piastri explained after the race. “It’s of course not ideal that they’ve gained some points on us but I think we expected it could have been worse. Let’s see – it’s obviously going to be tight to the rest of the year but hopefully Qatar’s a good weekend for us.”

‘Not ideal’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...KFRV9vzWB5GG2j


"It could have been worse" - Oscar Piastri expected bigger Ferrari gain in Las Vegas
"It’s of course not ideal that they’ve gained some points on us but I think we expected it could have been worse."
25 Nov 2024
Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net

Oscar Piastri felt that McLaren would have lost out more in the F1 constructors’ championship to Ferrari at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Ferrari were only able to finish third and fourth amid Mercedes’ surprise return to form in Sin City. Mercedes took a dominant 1-2 finish with George Russell controlling the race from pole position.

For Piastri, it was a tough weekend. He was out-paced comprehensively by Norris in the race, although his chances of a better result were thwarted by a five-second penalty for a false start. “I didn’t think I was that far forward but clearly I must have been. I don’t think it changed much,” he added. “Yes, it made the early part and the middle part of the race a bit more difficult, but I don’t think it affected the result. We just weren’t quick enough, so some things to look at for sure.”

‘Gained points on us’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/106074...gain-las-vegas


McLaren "thanks" Mercedes for holding Ferrari off in Vegas
McLaren escaped a major blow to its constructors’ championship hopes in Las Vegas...
Jonathan Noble
Mark Mann-Bryans
Motorsport.com

McLaren says it is thankful Mercedes dominated the Las Vegas Grand Prix, as that prevented main rival Ferrari from slashing too much into its constructors' championship lead. McLaren boss Andrea Stella said: "It's disappointing that we lost 12 points in the championship."

"But at the same time, considering how much we struggled this weekend, somehow, we really have to thank Mercedes for having performed so strong and secured the P1, P2 position. Otherwise, Ferrari would have been an even bigger threat in the constructors' championship."

"Thanks";

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/m...gas-/10676380/


Sainz expected better performance in Las Vegas race
24 Nov 2024
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical

Carlos Sainz had high hopes of challenging for the victory at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, but he was left disappointed after unexpected tyre issues in the early stages of the 50-lap race. "Considering the pace Mercedes had today I think we maximised the team's points, and even without the misunderstanding at the pit entry on my second stop I don’t think we would have been able to stay ahead of Lewis.”

"I was expecting to be more competitive after what we had seen in practice but we struggled quite a lot with graining today.Considering the pace Mercedes had today I think we maximised the team's points, and even without the misunderstanding at the pit entry on my second stop I don’t think we would have been able to stay ahead of Lewis.”

‘Expected better’;

https://www.f1technical.net/news/25908


Leclerc unleashes f-bomb rant after Vegas frustrations
A frustrated Charles Leclerc unloaded on his race engineer, Bryan Bozzi, following the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
25 Nov 2024
Mat Coch
Speedcafe

“Carlos has been told to not overtake but it is really close, you might be just in front,” Bozzi told Leclerc over the radio. He has been told to not put you under pressure. So just take care of your tyres.” However, Sainz soon passed Leclerc, prompting a sarcastic response from the Monegasque driver. “Maybe try in Spanish,” he said.

Following the race, Bozzi issued some standard cooldown lap instructions, including reminding Leclerc to pick up marbles.
That quickly descended into a profanity-laden rant from the 27-year-old.
Bozzi: “Pick up please.”
Leclerc: “Yes, whatever you want, as always.”
Bozzi: “Charles, you did your job. Okay. Thank you.”

Leclerc: “Yeah I did my job. But being nice f**ks me all the f**king time. All the f**king time.
“It’s not even being nice, it’s just being respectful, I know I need to shut up but at one point is always the same so…
“Oh my f**king god.”

‘F-bomb’;

https://speedcafe.com/leclerc-unleas...-frustrations/


Sainz denies any tactics against Leclerc, and cities "graining" as the Monegasque's biggest enemy
24 Nov 2024
Balazs Szabo
F1 Technical

Following his on-track misunderstanding with his team-mate Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz has denied that he deliberately acted against what the Scuderia asked from him after the last round of pit stops. Sainz said that it was down to "messy" radio communication.

"We just simply didn't execute in general. We just didn't execute a very good race. I think we stayed out one lap too late on Mediums, two laps too late on Hards. And by the time I was going to pit, we had this messy radio communication in the pit entry, which probably made me lose that lap that I was completely grained and I had to let pass Charles plus the two or three seconds that I lost in the pit entry.”

"That means a lot of race time that maybe would have meant we could have ended up fighting Lewis. But yeah, it just shows that in this sport, you need to do things perfectly week in, week out. We've been doing things really well in strategy and on race management all year around. But today wasn't our day. We just didn't do things well and we will have to learn from it and make sure we come back in Qatar stronger," concluded Sainz.

"Graining";

https://www.f1technical.net/news/25902


New Ferrari data helps uncover true culprit in Leclerc v Sainz war
25 Nov 2024
Pablo Hidalgo
PlanetF1.com

Ferrari exploded again in Las Vegas at a key moment of the season for the Italian team, which has not won a title since 2008. Unexpectedly out-paced by Mercedes, the race management with Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc was also very poor which triggered the Monegasque’s brutal anger against his teammate without the Spaniard really being guilty of anything at all.

Sainz did what was asked of him over the radio to help Charles when he could within a competitive logic and took another podium finish without indulging in the submission that many people expect of him both inside and outside the team.

A submission that when he has it is always criticised for lack of competitiveness and when he doesn’t have it it is also criticised because he is considered a bad teammate. It seems that whatever he does, Sainz will never be judged in a positive light unless he has a perfect weekend like he did in Mexico or Australia.

‘Uncover true culprit’;

https://www.planetf1.com/features/fe...rlos-sainz-war


‘He’s damaged’: Martin Brundle stunned by what Charles Leclerc did at the Las Vegas Grand Prix that ‘ruined’ his race
24 Nov 2024
Ben Evans
F1 Oversteer

Martin Brundle criticises Charles Leclerc’s tyre management at the Las Vegas Grand Prix Talking about the Monegasque driver, Brundle said: “Karun [Chandhok] telling me at race control that Leclerc’s been told that he’s got to stay out longer, he’s damaged the tyre, but you can’t come in yet. We don’t know how far the hard compound tyre will go. So, too aggressive from Charles Leclerc. He either needed to make that move instantly or settle back behind George Russell. It’s ruined, certainly the first part of his race.”

‘He’s damaged’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/mar...ined-his-race/