Max Verstappen (Red Bull), the 2023 Formula One (F1) World Championship Drivers’ Champion, extended his ‘single-season record’ to 18 wins with his sixth consecutive victory.
Verstappen crossed the line first from the second row of the grid in a time of 1 hour, 291 minutes and 289 seconds in the final round of the 22nd Formula One World Championship Las Vegas Grand Prix at the Las Vegas Strip Circuit (6.201 kilometers – 50 laps) in Paradise, Nevada, USA, on Monday (July 19).
Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), who started on the front row of the grid, lost the lead to Verstappen and crossed the chequered flag 2.070 seconds behind in second place, while his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez finished third.
It was Perstappen’s sixth consecutive victory from rounds 17-22 and his 18th of the season.
At the start of the final, Perstappen put LeClerc under heavy pressure and dived into the inside at the first corner to take the lead.
However, in doing so, he took the corner too wide, sending Leclerc’s machine off the track and earning him a five-second penalty.
There was also an early race incident. Lando Norris (McLaren) lost his balance going into a corner on lap three and crashed hard into the safety barrier, bringing out the Safety Car to prevent further damage.
Once the safety car is out, overtaking is prohibited.
The race resumed on lap seven, and Perstappen held off Leclerc to take the top spot on the podium. 사설토토