List of All Articles with Tag 'f1'

Lewis Hamilton took aim at Max Verstappen’s criticism of the Las Vegas Grand Prix after lauding the star-studded race as one of the best of the year. The lead changed hands on multiple occasions on a wild and incident-packed night in Sin City. But it was Verstappen, doom-monger-in-chief, who prevailed to take his 18th win from the 21 rounds so far. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc denied Red Bull a one-two finish after he passed Sergio Perez on the final lap to finish runner-up. The build-up to Formula One’s £500million debut race on the Strip had been mired in controversy. Verstappen accused the sport’s bosses of making him look like a clown following Wednesday night’s Superbowl-style Opening Ceremony. And in the wake of an embarrassing practice washout, the triple world champion compared the event to the fifth tier of English football. He was then effusive in his praise for the sport’s traditional European venues in Monaco, Monza and Spa. But Las Vegas’ 3.8-mile street venue served up a thrill-a-minute classic which culminated in Verstappen passing Leclerc for victory with 13 laps remaining. Hamilton endured an arduous night on the Strip following a collision with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. The prang dropped him to 19th and last. Hamilton fought back to seventh but he can no longer catch Perez in the race for second in the championship. For all those who said it was all about the show, Vegas proved them wrong Lewis Hamilton Yet, despite his own personal disappointment, the seven-time world champion hailed the Saturday night sizzler as a breakthrough moment for the sport. “For all those who said it was all about the show, Vegas proved them wrong,” said Hamilton in an apparent swipe against Verstappen. “The race was great, and it was one of the best races. There have been so many people who have been negative about the show, and all that. But just let it be and see how it goes. “And it was huge. There has been criticism about having three races in the United States, and people talking about bringing back old classics from Europe. But this has provided a better race than most of the tracks we go to. Hats off to the people who ran the show. “I cannot wait to come back and hopefully have a better race next year. I am really grateful to Vegas for having us.” The inaugural event – billed by F1 as the greatest show on earth – got off to the worst possible start when Carlos Sainz collided with a drain cover and first practice was abandoned after just eight minutes. Furious fans were ejected from the venue before second practice concluded at 4am on Friday. But F1’s American owners’ Liberty Media were celebrating a triumph in the early hours of Sunday morning after stars of stage and scene flocked to the entertainment capital of the world to witness a fascinating race. Verstappen took centre stage after he fought back from a five-second penalty – for pushing pole-sitter Leclerc off the road at the first corner – and a collision with George Russell as they duelled for fifth. Russell was penalised with a five-second penalty of his own by the stewards. The all-conquering Verstappen made his way ahead of Perez, and then Leclerc on laps 36 and 37 respectively to land a fine win. Wearing his Elvis-themed Red Bull overalls, Verstappen belted out a rendition of the King’s Viva Las Vegas from inside his cockpit after taking the chequered flag – waved by pop star Justin Bieber. Verstappen, Leclerc and Perez – who all enjoyed spells leading the race – were then whisked off in a limousine to conduct their post-race interviews in front of the Bellagio before the hotel’s iconic fountains burst into life and a fireworks show lit up the night sky. But was Verstappen ready to row back on his earlier disapproval? “I always expected it to be a good race because there are long straights, and low-speed corners, and you don’t lose a lot of downforce so that has never been my issue,” he said, largely dodging the question. “Today was fun and that is the only thing I want to say about it. I hope everyone enjoyed it. “(Team principal) Christian (Horner) put me on the spot so I couldn’t leave him hanging. I had to sing. But I need some lessons so I am going to go to Geri (Horner) and book an appointment.” But more pressingly for Verstappen will be next weekend’s concluding round of this marathon 22-race season in Abu Dhabi next weekend. Read More Class action lawsuit filed over farcical start to Las Vegas Grand Prix Toto Wolff fuelled by ‘personal anger’ to help Lewis Hamilton win eighth title On this day in 2010: Sebastian Vettel becomes youngest ever F1 world champion ‘One of the best races’: Lewis Hamilton says Las Vegas GP proved critics wrong Las Vegas Grand Prix dazzles on debut with usual dose of Max Verstappen reality F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix LIVE: Verstappen wins as Leclerc overtakes Perez on last lap

Beyond all the hype and razzle-dazzle beaming from all corners of this bright-light epicentre in the middle of the Nevada desert, what Formula 1 needed from their new flagship event on the Las Vegas strip was an entertaining race. Especially after starting on such unimpressive footing a few nights ago. And contrary to many of the processions in this one-sided season, the entertainment capital of the world did deliver on Saturday night. Don’t be fooled though: the top spot of the podium was no surprise. It has got to the stage now where Max Verstappen is simply inevitable. In this breed of Red Bull car, he remains lightyears ahead of the other 19 drivers behind him. On Saturday night – on a circuit he described as “National League” standard after qualifying – he was hit with a five-second penalty. Then he, unusually, spurned his first set of tyres as pole-sitter Charles Leclerc retook the lead. The Dutchman then collided with George Russell in the midfield. Yet no circumstance is too damaging to recover from and, by lap 36 of 50, Verstappen was in the lead and clear. “Viva Las Vegas!” he screeched over team radio at the end, his mood unsurprisingly glowing following an 18th victory of the season. But at least Leclerc gave the 105,000-strong crowd something to cheer at the finale. In front of hospitality boxes at the Bellagio Fountains costing $12,000 for the weekend, the Ferrari man boldly dived down the inside to take second place from the helpless Sergio Perez on the final lap; the second race running that Perez has dropped a spot at the death. It was the absorbing end Vegas executives craved. And needed. A race week so long amped up to the max, from Wednesday’s opening ceremony to UFC ring announcer Bruce Buffer’s cringey driver introductions before lights out, made headlines for all the wrong reasons on day one. The fallout from a loose drain cover on the mesmerising strip section of the track eight minutes into practice was mammoth. The reaction from F1 and LVGP did not help their image either, given their refusal to dish out refunds which should have been obligatory. But to some extent, it was all about the main event. Much like memorable fight nights at the MGM Grand and beyond in this city, 10pm on Saturday night is when the curtains are finally drawn back and the sporting show itself delivers its masterpiece. F1 provided its usual jolt of stardom in the build-up, with David Beckham, Usain Bolt and Kylie Minogue among the numerous A-list celebrities on the grid. But when it came down to the racing, this 17-turn circuit with the second-longest straight on the calendar did not disappoint. There were two safety cars – a usual tool of adding intrigue – after Lando Norris’ early crash and Verstappen’s collision with Russell. There were three leaders, all of whom had time to dream that they would be the first Vegas winner since Italian driver Michele Alboreto won the Caesars Palace car park race in 1982. Safety car No 2 – ironically caused by debris on track following Verstappen’s tangle with Russell – derailed Leclerc’s chances as he stayed out on relatively new hard tyres, while the Red Bull pairing pitted for fresh rubber. The process of heating the tyres afterwards came too slow for the Monegasque and it looked as though another Red Bull one-two was a formality. But, just in time, he found the requisite grip and speed to make one of the overtakes of the season just before the chequered flag. His emotions, he admitted afterwards, were mixed. “On one hand I’m extremely happy with today’s performance, I didn’t leave anything on the table,” Leclerc said. “On the other hand, obviously disappointed because I really believe without this safety car the win was ours.” TOP-10 - LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX 1. Max Verstappen 2. Charles Leclerc 3. Sergio Perez 4. Esteban Ocon 5. Lance Stroll 6. Carlos Sainz 7. Lewis Hamilton 8. George Russell 9. Fernando Alonso 10. Oscar Piastri Leclerc’s wait for a first win since July 2022 – and he’s had eight pole positions in that time – goes on while Perez secured second in the world championship despite that final dropped spot: the first time Red Bull have ever claimed the top two positions. Further down the order, Esteban Ocon secured an impressive fourth place for Alpine from 16th on the grid while Lance Stroll completed the top five. The Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and Russell came only seventh and eighth respectively as they draw to a close a season to forget, with just one more unlikely attempt to salvage a win in Abu Dhabi next week. But for Vegas – a city completely changed and reordered for this first race of a scheduled 10 – the final act was, finally, worthy of the hysteria. It was up there with the best races of the year, alongside Singapore and Austin. There are plenty of features to be improved, though. The top three drivers all spoke in the aftermath about an earlier start time, as well as perhaps a change of month given the ludicrous time-zone switch now to the Middle East. Logistically, the smoothness of proceedings has been questionable. Yet the glistening glow of the views overhead sparkled and, on race day, the action on the city’s streets matched it. All Sin City, and the sport, needs now is a proper battle at the top. Read More Lando Norris explained issues with Las Vegas circuit before crashing at Grand Prix F1’s Lando Norris expresses Las Vegas Grand Prix track concerns moments before crash Lando Norris endures heavy crash at start of Las Vegas Grand Prix F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix LIVE: Verstappen wins as Leclerc overtakes Perez on last lap What Charles Leclerc needs to claim victory from pole in first Las Vegas Grand Prix Charles Leclerc lights up Las Vegas to claim pole position for Ferrari

F1 driver Lando Norris outlined his concerns about some potential issues with the Las Vegas Grand Prix circuit ahead of the race mere minutes before his heavy crash on Sunday. In a grid walk interview with Sky Sports’ Martin Brundle, Norris was asked what he thought of the track and how it feels to drive on to which he replied: “Pretty dreadful. “Just because it’s the least high temp we have had all weekend. Just because you’re pushing on an out-lap. Normally you don’t push on an out-lap. “It didn’t feel great, it should come back towards us. The track should improve a lot throughout the race, it’s a lot more windy and I’m at the back of the grid. “There’s a lot of things going against it but it should be a good race.” Norris, who started 15th on the grid after a disappointing qualifying, lost control of his car on turn 12 and spun into the wall with sparks flying from his rear end. The Brit steered right, lost a tyre in the impact with the wall and ended up in the barriers over to the side of the track. Norris managed to let his engineer know that he was okay before the safety car was deployed. The McLaren driver was then transferred to the circuit medical centre, before being taken to the university medical centre for further precautionary investigations. Max Verstappen went on to claim victory in an entertaining first-ever race on the strip in Sin City beating Charles Leclerc who had started the race on pole. Sergio Perez looked to have sealed a P2 for Red Bull before Leclerc overtook him on the final lap. It was the second race in a row that Perez has dropped a position on the final lap, after Fernando Alonso denied him a podium last time out in Brazil. Norris’ team-mate, Oscar Piastri, secured one world championship point with a P10 finish. Read More F1’s Lando Norris expresses Las Vegas Grand Prix track concerns moments before crash Lando Norris endures heavy crash at start of Las Vegas Grand Prix F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix LIVE: Verstappen wins as Leclerc overtakes Perez on last lap

Max Verstappen overcame a five-second penalty, a collision with George Russell and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to claim a historic Las Vegas Grand Prix win. On a wild night in Sin City, where the lead of the race changed hands on multiple occasions, it was Verstappen who prevailed to take his 18th win from the 21 rounds so far with popstar Justin Bieber waving the chequered flag. Charles Leclerc passed Sergio Perez on the final lap to finish runner-up, while British driver Lando Norris was taken to hospital for precautionary checks after he crashed out on the third lap at 180mph. The build-up to Formula One’s debut race on the Strip has been mired in controversy following Thursday’s practice washout and Verstappen comparing the Las Vegas race to football’s National League. But the 3.8-mile venue served up a brilliant race which culminated in Verstappen passing Leclerc for the lead on lap 37 of 50. A celebrity-jammed grid dispersed moments before the lights went out in Sin City, and it was Verstappen who raced away from his marks to gazump the pole-sitter into the opening bend. However, Verstappen’s move courted the attention of the stewards with Leclerc forced off the track. Behind, Fernando Alonso’s spin triggered a pile-up as Perez tagged Valtteri Bottas. Carlos Sainz also thudded into Lewis Hamilton, but the latter escaped without damage. The virtual safety car was deployed following the first-corner chaos and when the race resumed three laps later, Norris was in the wall. Norris lost control of his McLaren through Turn 11 and was soon a passenger as he thudded backwards into the concrete wall amid a flurry of orange sparks, before the car righted itself and Norris went head-on into the run-off barriers at Turn 12. Norris’s machine was wrecked in the high-speed smash, but the 23-year-old was on the radio to report he was okay, before he made his way into the medical car. Out came the safety car and Verstappen was dealt a five-second penalty for forcing Leclerc off the road at the first bend. “Yeah, that is fine,” he said over the radio. “Send them my regards.” Verstappen might have felt he would have the sufficient speed in his Red Bull to open up a gap to Leclerc, but the Ferrari man was soon in his mirrors. And on lap 16 the Monegasque swept by to take the lead. In came Verstappen for new tyres. Further back, and Hamilton, who had been on the charge, sustained a puncture following a collision with Oscar Piastri. The seven-time world champion limped back to the pits for repairs, but he emerged 19th and last, and a credible result on American soil was in tatters. In the other Mercedes, Russell, now ahead of Verstappen following the Dutchman’s penalty, had the Red Bull swarming in his mirrors. Verstappen threw his Red Bull underneath a surprised Russell at Turn 12 and the British driver turned into his rival as they duelled for a net third. Russell made contact with Verstappen’s Red Bull with debris falling off both of their machines. The safety car was out for a second time and Leclerc took the lead with Perez moving up to second by virtue of a free pit stop. When the safety car came back in, Perez passed Leclerc to take the lead on lap 32 while Verstappen was also on the move as he swatted Piastri aside for third. Three laps later, and Leclerc was back on top after fighting his way back past Perez. A lap later, Verstappen moved ahead of Perez on the Las Vegas Boulevard for a second, and then on lap 37, he slung his Red Bull underneath Leclerc’s scarlet machine for the lead. Perez looked to have completed a one-two for Red Bull when he made his way ahead of Leclerc with seven laps to go only for the Monegasque to fight his way back past on the last tour. Russell crossed the line in fourth, but was demoted to eighth after he was hit with a a five-second penalty for his collision with Verstappen. Esteban Ocon took fourth, one place ahead of Lance Stroll with Carlos Sainz sixth and Hamilton seventh. Verstappen, Leclerc and Perez were whisked away in a limousine to the front of the Bellagio Hotel to conduct their post-race interviews. “It was a tough one,” said Verstappen after claiming his 53rd career win to move into third on the all-time list alongside Sebastian Vettel. “I tried to go for it at the start. But I ran out of grip and the stewards gave me a penalty which put me on the backfoot. “I had to pass a few cars to get into the battle and it was definitely a lot of fun.” Leclerc said: “What a race. I enjoyed it so much. I am disappointed to finish second but that was the best we could do.” Read More Class action lawsuit filed over farcical start to Las Vegas Grand Prix Toto Wolff fuelled by ‘personal anger’ to help Lewis Hamilton win eighth title On this day in 2010: Sebastian Vettel becomes youngest ever F1 world champion F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix LIVE: Verstappen wins as Leclerc overtakes Perez on last lap Lando Norris endures heavy crash at start of Las Vegas Grand Prix Kylie Minogue dances trackside as she enjoys F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix

Lando Norris was an early retirement from the Las Vegas Grand Prix after a heavy crash into the wall. The McLaren driver, who only started 15th on the grid after a disappointing qualifying, lost control of his car at turn 12. The Brit diverted right, straight into the wall and losing a tyre, before spinning into the barrier. Norris, while breathing heavily, did let his engineer know “I’m OK.” More to follow… Read More F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix LIVE: Race updates and times in Sin City What Charles Leclerc needs to claim victory from pole in first Las Vegas Grand Prix Charles Leclerc lights up Las Vegas to claim pole position for Ferrari

F1’s highly anticipated Las Vegas Grand Prix is back on track after a disastrous opening day had to be suspended to fix a loose manhole cover, as Charles Leclerc claimed pole in qualifying on Saturday. The first session of F1’s newest event had only been going for eight minutes before Carlos Sainz’s car stopped on the lengthy Vegas strip. Replays show his Ferrari car, at speeds of over 200mph, went over a loose drain cover before the Spaniard veered to the side and stopped the car due to substantial floor damage, and Ferrari were furious. F1 grid: Starting positions for the Las Vegas Grand Prix FP2 was delayed for more than two hours while the circuit was made safe, before the Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Sainz topped the timings, with Max Verstappen only sixth. FP3 then saw Mercedes’ George Russell top the charts ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Pastri and Williams’ Logan Sargeant, with Ferrari way down the results after choosing to preserve their soft tyres. But their true pace was revealed in qualifying as Leclerc and Carlos Sainz – who has a 10-place grid penalty after that FP1 incident – finished first and second, ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Mercedes’ George Russell. But their teammates Sergio Perez and Lewis Hamilton suffered shock exits in Q2 and will start in the middle of the pack. Follow live updates from the Las Vegas Grand Prix below and check the latest F1 odds and tips here. Read More F1 grid: Starting positions for Las Vegas Grand Prix What Charles Leclerc needs to finally claim victory from pole in first Las Vegas Grand Prix Shambles and incompetence: F1 enters new Las Vegas dawn with disaster on opening night

Organisers of the Las Vegas Grand Prix are facing a class action lawsuit following the farcical start to this weekend’s race on the strip. Formula One sold the sport’s Sin City comeback after four decades away as the greatest show on Earth. But fans witnessed just eight minutes of practice on Thursday after a drain cover broke free and tore a hole into the underbelly of Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari. The second running was delayed by two-and-a-half hours, and took place in front of vacant grandstands as furious fans were ejected to comply with local employment laws. Practice finished at 4am on Friday morning. Spectators who held a 200 US dollar (£160) general admission ticket for Thursday’s two practice sessions have since been offered a voucher for the same amount to be redeemed on merchandise. But those in attendance on a three-day pass – the cheapest of which is 500 US dollars (£400) – will not receive any compensation. On Friday, Nevada-based Dimopoulos Law Firm and co-counsel JK Legal & Consulting filed a lawsuit with the Nevada District Court seeking damages for the 35,000 paying spectators. “We will vindicate the rights of the fans that travelled great distances and paid small fortunes to attend, but were deprived of the experience,” said Dimopoulos Law Firm owner Steve Dimopoulos in a statement. A spokesperson for Las Vegas Grand Prix said: “We cannot comment on the litigation. “Our focus is on ensuring that our fans have an entertaining experience in a safe and secure environment which is always our top priority.” Earlier, F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali stopped short of issuing an apology in a 650-word joint statement with CEO of the Las Vegas race, Renee Wilm. “We have all been to events, like concerts, games and even other Formula One races, that have been cancelled because of factors like weather or technical issues,” they said. “It happens, and we hope people will understand.” The maiden race on the Las Vegas strip gets underway at 10pm local time on Saturday (6am GMT on Sunday). Read More Toto Wolff fuelled by ‘personal anger’ to help Lewis Hamilton win eighth title On this day in 2010: Sebastian Vettel becomes youngest ever F1 world champion What Charles Leclerc needs to claim victory from pole in first Las Vegas Grand Prix What Charles Leclerc needs to claim victory from pole in first Las Vegas Grand Prix F1 2023 season race schedule: When is the Las Vegas Grand Prix? Verstappen criticises Vegas GP: ‘Monaco is Champions League, this is National League’

Amid the maelstrom swirling on the other side of the Ferrari garage in the last few days at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc has been razor-sharp. Fastest in the sole practice session on Friday, the Monegasque is so often ice-cool on the tight, twisty street circuits that so regularly crop up now in Formula 1. Such was his confidence – and previous qualifying form in similar conditions – Leclerc was actually favourite with the bookies for pole position ahead of Max Verstappen. The Ferrari man proved them right, sealing a Ferrari one-two with Carlos Sainz qualifying in second. Unfortunately however, the Spaniard will not be starting alongside his team-mate for the inaugural Saturday night race. Sainz’s ridiculous 10-place grid penalty for exceeding his gearbox allocation – which only came about due to the FIA’s incompetence after manhole-gate on opening night – has wiped out Leclerc’s most helpful aid to win the 50-lap race. For those desperate for an engrossing battle at the front, not least F1 and LVGP chiefs, it is a bitter blow. Leclerc will have to break an unwelcome streak, too. Since his last win 16 months ago in Austria, the 26-year-old has been on pole position eight times. Rather excruciatingly, six of those eight have still resulted in podiums. Ferrari’s race-pace has been their Achilles’ heel but Leclerc is optimistic after Sainz was victorious on a similar track layout in Singapore in September. “The race is where we lack performance so I hope we can put it all together,” he said post-qualifying. “We know that Red Bull are going to be very strong, but we’ve had positive signs on the high fuel [in practice] – hopefully we can convert that pole position to a win. “I think we are closer [to Max] than other races. If there’s one race to win [this year] other than Singapore, it’s this one.” Leclerc will need two things that have deserted him in order to taste victory in Nevada tomorrow: a peerless strategy and just a bit of luck. From lights out, Leclerc must get off to an exemplary start, while hoping Verstappen – who compared the track to the National League after qualifying – on the dirtier side of the track falls back into the pack. Early on, staying outside the DRS window of Verstappen behind ahead of the Vegas strip section – now the second-longest straight on the calendar – is imperative. But Ferrari must be bold with their tactical calls from lights out. The Scuderia have hampered themselves since producing a title-winning car at the start of 2022 with daft decisions from the pit lane. In a battle between Ferrari strategists and their rivals at Red Bull, there has been no contest. It is unlikely, given Red Bull’s outstanding race pace and straight-line speed. But Verstappen’s day to forget in Singapore two months ago should give Leclerc and the rest of the pack hope, even if it is simply a glimpse of an opportunity. TOP-10 - LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX QUALIFYING 1. Charles Leclerc 2. Max Verstappen 3. George Russell 4. Pierre Gasly 5. Alex Albon 6. Logan Sargeant 7. Valtteri Bottas 8. Kevin Magnussen 9. Fernando Alonso 10. Lewis Hamilton Earlier in the day, Formula 1 and Vegas GP management did their no reputation no good with a lengthy statement explaining Thursday night’s titanic mess, which saw ticket holders witness just eight minutes of cars on track. Perplexingly, in amongst 600 words, there was no apology and no refund offered; instead, a $200 voucher to use at the Las Vegas Grand Prix gift shop. After a jumbled-up order in the final practice session, there was a sense of mystique surrounding who was the quickest team around this 3.8-mile street circuit. A circuit which, despite this week’s shenanigans, looks absolutely stunning from the sky. Think Singapore and Jeddah on steroids. On the track, Lando Norris admitted this week he “did not mind” where his first win comes – but it won’t be this weekend. Both McLarens, surprisingly short of pace, were knocked out in Q1 – Norris will start tomorrow’s race in 15th, Oscar Piastri in 18th. A recovery drive will be in order on Saturday night. It was also another day to forget for Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time world champion failed to qualify for the final session and will start the Vegas race in 10th. Resigned to his fate afterwards, he simply stated to race engineer Peter Bonnington: “Couldn’t go faster mate.” But his team-mate George Russell could – the Brit will start behind the top-two in third tomorrow and will be looking to steal a march on Verstappen heading into turn one. Yet the standout team in Vegas qualifying was Williams, with Alex Albon starting fifth and rookie driver Logan Sargeant producing his best qualifying performance of the season for sixth. And with it, the American could well have sealed his 2024 seat. Read More Charles Leclerc lights up Las Vegas to claim pole position for Ferrari Verstappen criticises Vegas GP: ‘Monaco is Champions League, this is National League’ F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix LIVE: Qualifying times and results in Sin City ‘It happens’: F1 fail to apologise or issue refunds to Las Vegas fans When does the Las Vegas Grand Prix start and how can I watch? F1 grid: Starting positions for Las Vegas Grand Prix

Max Verstappen compared Formula One’s £500million Las Vegas Grand Prix to the fifth tier of English football – and suggested the sport’s new generation of fans are only interested in partying. Verstappen will start from second place for Saturday’s 50-lap race on the strip after Charles Leclerc put his Ferrari on pole position with a dazzling lap under the Las Vegas lights. F1 has sold the sport’s Sin City comeback after four decades away as the greatest show on Earth, but fans witnessed just eight minutes of practice on Thursday after a drain cover broke free and tore a hole into the underbelly of Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari. A delayed second practice – which concluded at 4am on Friday local time – took place in front of empty grandstands after angry spectators were turfed out to comply with local employment laws. An estimated crowd of 70,000 watched qualifying on Friday night while organisers had been expecting 100,000 attendees each day. Earlier this week, Verstappen criticised F1’s maiden street race on the strip as “99 per cent show, and one per cent sport”. And in the moments after qualifying, he took another swipe at the event. “Monaco is Champions League and this is National League,” he said. “I feel like the show is important, but I like emotion. When I was a little kid it was all about the emotion of the sport that I fell in love with and not the show. As a real racer the show shouldn’t matter. “An F1 car does not come alive on a street circuit. It is not that exciting. It is about proper race tracks. And when you go to Monza and Spa, these kinds of places have a lot of emotion and passion, and for me seeing the fans there is incredible. When I jump in the car, I am fired up. I love driving at these kind of places. “I understand fans need things to do around the track, but it is more important that they understand what we do as a sport. Most of them just come to have a party, drink, see a DJ, or a performance act. “I can do that all over the world. I can go to Ibiza and get completely s***-faced and have a good time. People come here, but they become a fan of what? They want to see maybe their favourite artist and have a few drinks with their mates, and then go out and have a crazy night. “But they don’t understand what we are doing, and they don’t understand what we are putting on the line to perform.” John Legend and Kylie Minogue were among a number of high-profile artists to perform in a dazzling 30-minute Superbowl-style show here on Wednesday, designed to kick-start the penultimate round of the season in style. Verstappen and his fellow drivers were introduced to the crowd via an elevating platform. Verstappen, who secured his third world title in Qatar last month, later said he felt like a “clown”. In the early hours of Saturday morning, he continued: “As a little kid I grew up wanting to become a world champion. More time should be invested into the actual sport, and what we are trying to achieve. “The sport should explain what the team has done throughout the season, and what they are working for. That’s way more important than having these random shows all over the place. I am not passionate about that. I like passion and emotion. “I love Vegas, but not to drive an F1 car. I love to go out, have a few drinks, throw everything on red and be crazy, but emotion and passion is not there compared to the old-school tracks.” Despite starting behind Leclerc when the lights go out at 10pm local time here on Saturday (6am Sunday GMT), Verstappen will be favourite to take his 18th win of the season. George Russell will line up from third but Lewis Hamilton will start only 10th. Hamilton, who finished half-a-second behind team-mate Russell, said: “I was lacking confidence and grip. I struggled. “Yesterday, the car felt better and I was more competitive and I made changes overnight and it didn’t feel great today. I have got a lot of work to do.” Read More Toto Wolff fuelled by ‘personal anger’ to help Lewis Hamilton win eighth title On this day in 2010: Sebastian Vettel becomes youngest ever F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton ‘counting down days’ to end of season after another poor race Max Verstappen thwarts Lando Norris’ bid for first F1 win with sprint victory F1 2023 season race schedule: When is the Las Vegas Grand Prix? Verstappen criticises Vegas GP: ‘Monaco is Champions League, this is National League’

Max Verstappen compared the Las Vegas Grand Prix circuit to the “National League” after qualifying on Saturday – while Monaco is the Champions League. The three-time world champion has been outspoken this week about the inaugural race on the Vegas strip, describing it as “99% show, 1% race.” After qualifying in third place in qualifying on Friday night – though he will start alongside pole-sitter Charles Leclerc in second as a result of Carlos Sainz’s penalty – the drivers were asked to compare a lap around the new circuit to other street tracks such as Singapore, Baku and Monaco. Verstappen simply quipped: “Monaco is Champions League… this is National League.” The National League is the fifth tier of English football, while the Champions League is Europe’s premier club competition. Verstappen was involved in a close shave with Esteban Ocon in the first part of qualifying, labelling the Alpine driver a “stupid idiot.” The Red Bull driver fell short of Leclerc’s pole-setting time by 0.378 seconds, though won’t be concerned given his supreme record this season. Verstappen has won 17 out of the 20 races in 2023, winning every grand prix since April bar Singapore in September. Read More F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix LIVE: Qualifying times and results in Sin City ‘It happens’: F1 fail to apologise or issue refunds to Las Vegas fans When does the Las Vegas Grand Prix start and how can I watch?

Charles Leclerc danced his way to pole position with an emphatic performance for Ferrari under the Las Vegas lights. At just after 1am local time – the latest conclusion to a qualifying session in Formula One history – Leclerc finished just 0.044 seconds clear of team-mate Carlos Sainz. However, Sainz will start down in 12th after a loose drain cover destroyed his Ferrari in practice and triggered a 10-place grid penalty. Triple world champion Max Verstappen, a winner in 17 of the 20 rounds so far, took third spot for Red Bull, but will move up to second following Sainz’s demotion. Lewis Hamilton was eliminated in Q2, leaving him only 10th on the grid. Hamilton finished half-a-second behind team-mate George Russell, who hauled his Mercedes into Q3 before taking advantage of Sainz’s penalty to secure third on the grid for Saturday’s 50-lap race. Following the shambolic start to F1’s Sin City comeback here on Thursday night, qualifying passed off without significant incident – much to the relief of the sport’s under-fire bosses. F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali stopped short of issuing an apology to the furious spectators, who saw just eight minutes of practice before they were ejected from the stands. However, in the early hours of Saturday morning, the estimated 90,000 fans who filled the 3.8-mile street venue – 30,000 down on capacity – were treated to an uninterrupted session which saw Leclerc romp to top spot in his scarlet machine. “I am happy,” said Leclerc. “To have first place in Las Vegas is great. “I was a bit disappointed because my lap was not great but it was all we needed. In the race we usually lack pace but hopefully we can put it all together in the race.” Against the backdrop of Caesars Palace, the MGM Grand and Bellagio hotels, Ferrari delivered, but it was another underwhelming showing for Hamilton. A fortnight after the seven-time world champion finished eighth in Brazil – 63 seconds behind winner Verstappen – he struggled for pace in his underperforming Mercedes. “Couldn’t go faster, mate,” said Hamilton following his elimination. Behind Hamilton, Sergio Perez qualified one place back. Lando Norris arrived in Nevada as the grid’s in-form driver after scoring more points across the last three rounds than anyone else. But the British driver failed to make it out of Q2 with his McLaren machinery not suited to the three long straights here coupled with slow corners. He qualified only 16th, three places ahead of team-mate Oscar Piastri who also fell at the first hurdle. “Very disappointed,” said McLaren CEO Zak Brown. “We thought we’d struggle this weekend but I didn’t think either car would be out in Q1. “Not a good start to the weekend and now all we can do is focus on the race tomorrow.” Read More Toto Wolff fuelled by ‘personal anger’ to help Lewis Hamilton win eighth title On this day in 2010: Sebastian Vettel becomes youngest ever F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton ‘counting down days’ to end of season after another poor race Max Verstappen thwarts Lando Norris’ bid for first F1 win with sprint victory F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix LIVE: Qualifying times and results in Sin City Verstappen calls Ocon a ‘stupid idiot’ in F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix qualifying tussle

F1’s highly anticipated Las Vegas Grand Prix is back on track after a disastrous opening day had to be suspended to fix a loose manhole cover, as qualifying begins. The first session of F1’s newest event had only been going for eight minutes before Carlos Sainz’s car stopped on the lengthy Vegas strip. Replays show his Ferrari car, at speeds of over 200mph, went over a loose drain cover before the Spaniard veered to the side and stopped the car due to substantial floor damage, and Ferrari were furious. FP2 was delayed for more than two hours while the circuit was made safe, before the Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Sainz topped the timings, with Max Verstappen only sixth. FP3 then saw Mercedes’ George Russell top the charts ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Pastri and Williams’ Logan Sargeant, with Ferrari way down the results after choosing to preserve their soft tyres. Follow live updates from the Las Vegas Grand Prix below and check the latest F1 odds and tips here. Read More Shambles and incompetence: F1 enters new Las Vegas dawn with disaster on opening night Ferrari boss rages at F1 after ‘unacceptable’ loose drain cover wrecks Carlos Sainz’s car Toto Wolff launches furious defence of F1 after absurd start to Las Vegas GP