Lando Norris Advances Closer to Championship as Verstappen Claims Vegas F1 Race Win

McLaren's Lando Norris stepped nearer to his first world title with second place in the Las Vegas Grand Prix following Red Bull's Max Verstappen

Norris currently heads teammate Oscar Piastri, who finished in fourth place after the Mercedes of George Russell, by thirty points going into the second-to-last race in Qatar this coming weekend

Norris will claim the championship in the desert as long as he does not lose over five points to Piastri in Losail, or seventeen to Verstappen

The Australian driver, so impressive in the first half of the season, has not finished on the top three for six races

"Verstappen had a strong performance. I made the mistake at the beginning and was too punchy on that first turn," said Norris

"It's still a positive outcome to secure second. I've got to praise Max and his team"

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

The main developments of one of Formula 1's most prestigious races included:

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

• Oscar Piastri's difficult performance streak persisted as his championship chances diminish

• A superb victory for Verstappen to keep him in the title fight

• Fightbacks for both Ferrari drivers, following a difficult qualifying, with Lewis Hamilton securing a point for 10th following starting at the back

From the beginning, Lando Norris was true to his claim that he was "not present not to take risks" as he battled aggressively to protect his lead from starting first from Verstappen

However following an forceful move in front of Verstappen to head off the Dutchman's challenge on the inner line, Norris misjudged his braking zone and ran deep into the corner

This enabled Max Verstappen to drive past into the first place while Norris also the runner-up spot to Russell

Through two VSC periods for several opening-lap incidents, including at the beginning when Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson made contact with Oscar Piastri, Verstappen gradually stamped his authority on the race

George Russell made an early pit stop for the more durable compound, but Norris and Verstappen remained on track

Norris pitted five laps following the Mercedes driver and Max Verstappen 10

Verstappen was could return still in the first place, George Russell having been failed to catch up on the Red Bull despite his fresher tyres

Norris rejoined behind George Russell from his stop but following a several careful circuits to let his tyres to settle, quickly reduced his 3.3-second gap to the Mercedes driver and swept by into runner-up position on the thirty-fourth lap

Norris inquired his race engineer how to manage the remainder of his event, effectively questioning whether he should settle for second or challenge for the lead

He was told to "chase down Verstappen" but it quickly became apparent he had little opportunity. Verstappen was readily able to repel Norris' attacks, and in the closing stages the gap extended significantly as the McLaren started to experience a mechanical problem which has thus far not been defined

Despite dropping almost three seconds a circuit, Lando Norris was could defend against George Russell because of the extent of the advantage he had established while chasing Verstappen

The Verstappen's sixth win of the season - just one less than the two McLaren drivers - was achieved in emphatic style and keeps him in championship contention, at minimum theoretically, even if he requires problems for Lando Norris in the final two events to pass him

"It remains a significant margin, we always try to optimize everything we've have," Verstappen said

"During the coming events we will attempt to take victory in the race and at the end of Abu Dhabi we will see where we finish, but I'm very proud of the entire team"

Oscar Piastri began in fifth but dropped two positions on the first circuit following being clouted by Lawson, who was soon eliminated of contention by a damaged nose section

He trailed Liam Lawson's teammate Isack Hadjar for the opening fifteen circuits before overtaking him on the Las Vegas Strip but lost position to Leclerc, who he was able to repass during the pit-stop period

Piastri finished behind the Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli, who ran nearly the whole event on hard tyres after stopping during the initial VSC, but was awarded a five-second time penalty for a start-line infringement, which was not immediately obvious on replays

"It was a disappointing race from pretty much beginning to end in some ways," Piastri informed race broadcasters

Questioned about how he would tackle the final two races, he said: "Just attempt to position myself in the best position I can. I obviously require several of factors to favor me now to take the title, but all I can do is make myself in the ideal situation to capitalise if something happens"

Leclerc hung on in sixth place, not close enough to benefit from Antonelli's time penalty, while Carlos Sainz dropped to seventh at the flag, his Williams lacking the speed to challenge with the leading outfits in the dry, after his impressive showing to qualify third in the wet

Hadjar took eighth place before Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg and Hamilton

The seven-time title winner made a flying start, up to thirteenth on the first lap and proceeded to move forwards

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