Lando Norris Advances Nearer to Championship as Verstappen Secures Vegas Grand Prix Win

The McLaren Lando Norris stepped closer to a maiden championship with runner-up position in the Las Vegas Grand Prix behind the Red Bull of Max Verstappen

Norris currently heads fellow McLaren driver Oscar Piastri, who ended up in fourth place after the Mercedes of George Russell, by thirty points going into the penultimate race in Qatar next weekend

Norris will win the championship in the Qatar as long as he does not lose more than five points to Piastri in Losail, or seventeen to Verstappen

The Australian driver, so strong in the opening stages of the championship, has failed to finish on the top three for six races

"Verstappen had a good race. I erred early on and was overly aggressive on that opening corner," said Norris

"It remains a good result to secure second. I've got to congratulate Max and his team"

After Qatar, the last event of the season takes place in Abu Dhabi on 7 December

The key stories of one of Formula 1's most high-profile races included:

• Norris continued his progress towards the championship despite the win to Verstappen

• Oscar Piastri's difficult run of form persisted as his title hopes diminish

• A excellent victory for Max Verstappen to maintain him in the championship battle

• Recoveries for both Ferrari drivers, after a difficult qualifying, with Lewis Hamilton claiming a point for 10th after starting at the back

From the beginning, Norris was true to his statement that he was "not here not to take risks" as he battled aggressively to protect his advantage from starting first from Max Verstappen

However following an aggressive move in front of the Red Bull driver to block the Verstappen's challenge on the inner line, Norris miscalculated his braking zone and ran deep into the turn

That enabled Max Verstappen to drive past into the first place while Norris also second place to Russell

During two VSC periods for some early incidents, including at the beginning when the Racing Bulls Liam Lawson collided with Piastri, Max Verstappen gradually established dominance on the race

George Russell made an early tire change for the more durable compound, but Norris and Verstappen stayed out

The McLaren driver pitted five circuits after the Mercedes and Max Verstappen 10

Verstappen was able to rejoin still in the first place, Russell having been failed to close in on the Red Bull car even with his newer rubber

Lando Norris rejoined behind George Russell from his stop but following a few cautious laps to allow his tires to settle, quickly closed his 3.3-second gap to the Mercedes driver and swept by into runner-up position on lap 34

The British driver inquired his race engineer how to manage the rest of his race, effectively asking whether he should settle for second place or attack

He was instructed to "go and get Verstappen" but it soon became clear he had little opportunity. Max Verstappen was easily able to defend against Norris' attacks, and in the closing stages the gap extended significantly as the McLaren car started to experience a mechanical problem which has thus far remained unidentified

Despite losing almost three seconds a lap, Norris was could defend against Russell because of the extent of the advantage he had built while pursuing Verstappen

The Verstappen's sixth win of the season - just one less than both McLaren teammates - was achieved in emphatic style and maintains him in championship contention, at minimum theoretically, even if he needs issues for Norris in the final two events to overtake him

"It remains a big gap, we always try to optimize all we've got," Max Verstappen stated

"In upcoming weekends we will try to win the race and at the end of Abu Dhabi we will see where we finish, but I'm very proud of the entire team"

Piastri started fifth but lost two positions on the first circuit after being clouted by Lawson, who was soon eliminated of contention by a broken front wing

He trailed Lawson's teammate Isack Hadjar for the first 15 laps before overtaking him on the Strip but also out to Leclerc, who he was could repass during the pit-stop period

Piastri finished behind Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli, who ran nearly the whole event on the durable compound after pitting during the first virtual safety car, but was awarded a five second penalty for a starting procedure violation, which was not clearly visible on video reviews

"It proved to be a disappointing race from pretty much beginning to end in certain respects," Piastri told race broadcasters

Asked about how he would approach the final two races, he commented: "Just attempt to put myself in the optimal situation I can. I obviously need several of factors to go my way now to take the title, but my only option is ensure I'm in the best position to capitalise if circumstances change"

Leclerc held on in sixth position, insufficiently close to benefit from Kimi Antonelli's time penalty, while Sainz dropped to seventh place at the finish, his Williams car lacking the speed to compete with the leading outfits in the dry conditions, after his impressive performance to start third in the wet

Hadjar took eighth ahead of Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg and Lewis Hamilton

The seven-time title winner executed a strong getaway, up to thirteenth on the opening circuit and proceeded to advance positions

He got stuck in a slipstream group with a group of additional vehicles but was could use his electric start to salvage a point following the poorest qualifying session of his career