Live: F1 Las Vegas GP commentary and updates

By: Haydn Cobb, Sam Hall

Summary


	Summary Verstappen wins the Las Vegas GP from Leclerc, overcoming a five-second penalty and damage from a clash with Russell Leclerc overtakes Perez on the final lap to grab second Norris suffers heavy crash and is taken to hospital for checks
	Leaderboard Verstappen, Red Bull Leclerc, Ferrari Sainz, Ferrari Ocon, Alpine Stroll, Aston Martin Sainz, Ferrari Hamilton, Mercedes Russell, Mercedes Alonso, Aston Martin Piastri, McLaren

Status: Stopped

10:06 So, that was the Las Vegas GP. Plenty of pick through and digest, but we don't have too long to do it because the 2023 F1 finale is next weekend. We'll be back for the Abu Dhabi GP with opening practice on Friday. Until then, go well and enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

10:03 Verstappen and co get busy with the fizzy, as the fireworks light up the Las Vegas night sky.

10:00 As the clock strikes midnight local time and we move into Sunday, Verstappen gets his hands on the Las Vegas GP winners' trophy!

09:59 The Dutch and Austrian national anthems ring out on the podium, with guests and VIPs now also on the track underneath the rostrum.

09:58 The on-track podiums from the opening ceremony are back on the starting grid. So now the trophy presentations can begin.

09:55 Verstappen on his 53rd F1 career win: "It was a tough one. I tried to go for it at the start. We both braked late and I ran out of grip and went wide so the stewards gave me a penalty for that. So I had to pass quite a few cars and then the safety car came out.

"Even with the DRS here it was very powerful so when you took the lead, if the car behind stayed in DRS it had the opportunity to come back at you. That created a lot of good racing here today so it was a lot of fun."

09:52 Leclerc on his second place: "What a race, I enjoyed it so much but I am disappointed to finish second, the best we could do. At the start it was very tricky because I think Max lost the grip and broke me into this inside. We passed him back and were really strong.

"We got unlucky with the safety car. We didn't pit as we didn't know what the others will do, so we went for track position and keeping first place but it was difficult with the older tyres."

09:50 Perez on not being able to defend against Leclerc: "I overtook Charles but I couldn't pull away from him because I was carrying too much front wing in my car. So my straightline speed was a little bit down and I couldn't pull away."

09:48 Perez on his very hectic race: "It was a really difficult [start] with a broken front wing so we basically went to the back of the grid. But we picked them off one by one, we had really strong pace on the first stint to get back into contention and then the safety car brought us into the race [at the front]."

09:47 The podium trio have been taken to the Bellagio hotel fountains for the top three awards gathering. But first post-race interviews by David Coulthard.

09:44 Here's the Las Vegas GP race report:

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/f1-las-vegas-gp-verstappen-race-report/10548821/

Photo by: Andrew Ferraro / Motorsport Images

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB19

09:43 Perez's overalls, all red for a Vegas special, make this a really weird visual. Two reds suits separated by Verstappen's all-white one. They are being driven the podium, which appears to be halfway around the track.

09:41 The podium trio climb into a Rolls Royce which has become an impromptu cooldown room. Good thing they are all friendly after this race as this would've been awkward.

09:38 Verstappen gives a rendition of Viva Las Vegas over team radio in celebration before jumping out of the car and into the arms of his Red Bull crew. See, he does like Vegas after all!

09:37 And the finishers outside of the points: P11 Gasly, P12 Albon, P13 Magnussen, P14 Ricciardo, P15 Zhou, P16 Sargeant, P17 Bottas. DNF: Tsunoda, Hulkenberg, Norris.

09:35 Top 10 finishing order: Verstappen, Leclerc, Perez, Ocon, Stroll, Sainz, Hamilton, Russell, Alonso, Piastri.

09:34 Verstappen wins and Leclerc takes second from Perez! What a finish! Russell finishes fourth on the road but drops to eighth with his five-second penalty.

09:33 Leclerc goes for it! And gets it done! He passes Perez at Turn 14 on the final lap!

09:32 Justin Bieber is ready with the chequered flag on the final lap. Verstappen is dropping back to give the slipstream to Perez to defend against Leclerc.

09:32 Piastri makes his move as Gasly's miserable second half of the race continues. P10 for the McLaren driver now. Alonso is five-seconds up the road, so this may be as good as it gets.

09:31 Another brief yellow flag as Tsunoda pulls off with a suspected gearbox issue.

09:30 On the penultimate lap Leclerc isn't close enough to Perez to make a move. His chances are running out.

09:30 Having only recently stopped, Piastri sets a new fastest lap of the race with a 1m35.490s. He's currently P11 but is closing quickly on Gasly to reach the all-important top 10.

09:29 A brief yellow flag intervention as Hulkenberg pulls down a service road to retire.

09:29 Verstappen has this race effectively won with a 4.5s lead. Leclerc is tucked up behind Perez with three laps to go to decide the order on the podium.

09:28 A very simple move in the end for Hamilton. With DRS, he slides down the inside of Alonso at the end of The Strip. P8 now but that could become P7 after Russell's penalty is applied.

09:27 Leclerc is within DRS range of Perez but, so far, isn't shaping for a move. Will he try to leave it late to deny the Mexican a chance to respond?

09:26 In P8, Alonso has Hamilton on his gearbox. No history between this pair!...

09:25 Hamilton makes a stunning move on Gasy through the final corner at close to 200mph. After lapping in the top five not too long ago, Gasly is falling back at a rate of knots.

09:25 Verstappen is marching towards victory as he sets another fastest lap to push his lead to 3.8s over Perez. Leclerc is 1.1s behind the Mexican and has five laps to try to attack back.

09:23 Piastri pits from fourth, having only run two sets of hard tyres, so needs to go to another compound. He picks the mediums and comes out in 12th.

09:22 Leclerc outbrakes himself, then locks up, into Turn 14 and that gifts Perez second place.

09:20 Verstappen's lead is up to 1.6s, as he is told to look after his front-right tyre by Red Bull, while Leclerc is keeping Perez at bay despite having no DRS to defend with.

09:18 "Hunt them down," Wolff tells Russell. He has a five-second penalty hanging over him and trails Stroll by 3.4s.

09:17 10 laps to go and Leclerc has just fallen out of DRS range from Verstappen which leaves him exposed to Perez.

09:17 The battle for P8 is getting rather spicy, with Russell moving to the front of the five-way battle, passing Albon.

But within a lap, Albon loses further places to Sainz, Alonso and Hamilton. His tyres are toast.

09:17 Another fastest lap from Verstappen but Leclerc is just keeping in DRS range. Red Bull tell their lead driver he's going to have to work hard to break the tow.

09:15 Verstappen pumps in a fastest lap of 1m36.100s in his bid to break DRS from Leclerc. His lead is 0.8s but it is extending.

09:14 McLaren have provided an update on Norris following his second lap crash.

"Following Lando’s incident earlier, he was transferred to the circuit Medical Centre and has now been taken to University Medical Center for further precautionary investigations."

09:13 What a move by Verstappen to take the lead! At Turn 14 he uses DRS to pull ahead up the inside of Leclerc and nails his braking to hold off the Ferrari fighting back on the outside.

Follow the live action as the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix reaches its climax on race day.

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