Norris Advances Closer to Championship as Verstappen Secures Las Vegas F1 Race Victory

The McLaren Lando Norris moved nearer to a maiden world title with runner-up position in the Las Vegas Grand Prix following the Red Bull of Max Verstappen

The British driver currently heads fellow McLaren driver Oscar Piastri, who ended up in fourth place behind the Mercedes of George Russell, by 30 points going into the second-to-last 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 impressive in the opening stages of the championship, has not finished on the podium for six consecutive events

"Verstappen had a good race. I erred at the beginning and was overly aggressive on that first turn," said Norris

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

After Qatar, the final race of the season takes place in Abu Dhabi on 7 December

The main developments of among Formula 1's most high-profile races included:

• Lando Norris maintained his progress towards the championship losing the win to Verstappen

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

• A excellent win for Max Verstappen to keep him in the championship battle

• Recoveries for the two Ferrari drivers, after a tough qualifying session, with Lewis Hamilton claiming a point for 10th following starting at the rear

From the beginning, Lando Norris was faithful to his statement that he was "not present to avoid risks" as he battled aggressively to protect his advantage from pole position from Max Verstappen

However after an aggressive cut in front of the Red Bull driver to block the Verstappen's attack on the inside, the McLaren driver miscalculated his braking point and went too deep into the turn

This allowed Max Verstappen to drive past into the lead while the British driver lost the runner-up spot to George Russell

During two virtual safety cars for several opening-lap incidents, including at the start when Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson made contact with Oscar Piastri, Verstappen gradually stamped his authority on the event

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

Norris pitted five circuits after the Mercedes driver and Verstappen ten laps later

The Red Bull driver was could rejoin still in the lead, Russell having been unable to close in on the Red Bull even with his fresher tyres

Norris rejoined behind Russell from his pit stop but after a few cautious laps to allow his tyres to warm up, soon closed his three-point-three second gap to the Mercedes driver and overtook into runner-up position on lap 34

Norris inquired his race engineer how to manage the rest of his race, essentially questioning whether he should accept second or attack

He was instructed to "chase down Max" but it soon became clear he had little opportunity. Max Verstappen was easily able to repel Norris' attacks, and in the final laps the margin extended substantially as the McLaren started to experience a mechanical problem which has so far remained unidentified

Even with dropping almost three seconds a circuit, Lando Norris was could defend against Russell because of the size of the advantage he had built while chasing Verstappen

The Verstappen's sixth win of the championship - only one less than both McLaren teammates - was achieved in dominant fashion and maintains him in title contention, at minimum mathematically, although he requires issues for Lando Norris in the final two events to pass him

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

"In upcoming weekends we will try to win the event and at the end of Abu Dhabi we will know where we end up, but I'm extremely pleased of everyone"

Oscar Piastri started in fifth but dropped two positions on the opening lap after being hit by Lawson, who was soon taken out of contention by a broken nose section

He trailed Liam Lawson's team-mate Isack Hadjar for the first 15 laps before overtaking him on the Strip but also out to Leclerc, who he was able to overtake again during the pit-stop period

Piastri ended up after Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli, who ran nearly the entire race on hard tyres after pitting during the initial VSC, but was given a five-second penalty for a start-line violation, which was not clearly visible on video reviews

"It proved to be a disappointing race from essentially beginning to end in certain respects," Piastri informed BBC Radio 5 Live

Questioned about how he would tackle the final two races, he commented: "Just attempt to position myself in the optimal situation I can. I clearly require several of things to go my way at this stage to win, but my only option is make myself in the ideal situation to capitalise if something happens"

Charles Leclerc held on in sixth position, insufficiently close to benefit from Antonelli's time penalty, while Sainz fell to seventh place at the flag, his Williams car lacking the pace to compete with the top teams in the dry conditions, after his impressive showing to qualify third in the wet

Isack Hadjar secured eighth before the Sauber of Nico Hulkenberg and Lewis Hamilton

The seven-time title winner executed a flying start, up to 13th on the first lap and proceeded to move forwards

He became trapped in a slipstream group with a group of other cars but was could employ his electric start to rescue a point following the worst qualifying session of his career