The dream scenario of the F1 title being won on The Strip could become reality on Sunday (5pm AEDT) with the Las Vegas Grand Prix handing Max Verstappen the chance to seal 2024’s divers’ championship.
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Verstappen will start the race in fifth after Red Bull struggled in qualifying — but his nearest rival Lando Norris needs a miracle after only going sixth-fastest.
It makes the likelihood of Verstappen clinching the 2024 title — his fourth in a row — in Las Vegas far greater. All the scenarios in which Verstappen wins the title in Las Vegas are included below.
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Meanwhile, Norris’ McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, starts at a distant eighth.
The Australian was at a loss to explain why he was so slow in Q3 on Friday (local time) despite it appearing to be a fight between McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes for the top four positions.
“Q3 we were nowhere and I don’t fully get why yet,” Piastri said.
“The first run was on a used set of tyres, but that wasn’t a problem in Q2, but we really struggled (in Q3).
“Then the new set at the end, I just about managed the lap time I did in Q2. Everyone else found that extra step and we couldn’t.”
He added: “The first two parts of qualifying, we were doing something a bit different to everybody else, but it was working for us,” Piastri explained.
“Then, Q3, more or less we kept doing the same thing, and we just didn’t find any extra pace.”
HOW CAN MAX VERSTAPPEN WIN THE TITLE TODAY?
Verstappen will win the championship if:
– he finishes ahead of Norris;
– he finishes third with the fastest lap behind Norris in second;
– he finishes fourth with the fastest lap behind Norris in third;
– he finishes one place behind Norris, who is fourth or lower without the fastest lap;
– Norris finishes ninth without the fastest lap or lower; or
– Norris fails to finish.
If the margin lands exactly on 60 points on Saturday night, Verstappen will be declared the winner on countback due to his unmatchable eight victories this season.
COLAPINTO CLEARED FOR LAS VEGAS GP DESPITE HEAVY CRASH
Franco Colapinto, who escaped serious injury in a high-speed crash in qualifying, has been cleared to take part in the race, his Williams team said.
The 21-year-old Argentine smacked a wall in his Williams at 50 times the force of gravity, and was able to climb out of his badly-damaged car, before being transferred to the circuit medical centre on Friday.
He was pushing for a place in the top ten when he lost control at Turn 15 of the ‘Sin City’ circuit in slippery and cold conditions.
He will start from 14th place on the grid.
Colapinto, who has made an impact since joining Williams mid-season, has been linked with a future move to other teams including RB and Audi.
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F1 LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX 2024 STARTING GRID
1. George Russell, Mercedes
2. Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
3. Pierre Gasly, Alpine
4. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
5. Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
6. Lando Norris, McLaren
7. Yuki Tsunoda, RB
8. Oscar Piastri, McLaren
9. Nico Hulkenberg, Haas
10. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
11. Esteban Ocon, Alpine
12. Kevin Magnussen, Haas
13. Zhou Guanyu, Sauber
14. Franco Colapinto, Williams
15. Liam Lawson, RB
16. Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing
17. Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin
18. Alex Albon, Williams
19. Lance Stroll, Aston Martin
20. Valtteri Bottas, Sauber
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