Norris Edges Closer to Championship as Max Verstappen Takes Las Vegas F1 Race Victory

The McLaren Lando Norris stepped nearer to his first championship with runner-up position in the Vegas race behind the Red Bull of Max Verstappen

Norris currently heads fellow McLaren driver Oscar Piastri, who ended up in fourth place after Mercedes' George Russell, by 30 points heading to the penultimate race in Qatar this coming weekend

Norris will win the title in the Qatar as long as he doesn't surrender more than five points to Piastri in Losail, or 17 to Verstappen

The Australian driver, so impressive in the opening stages of the championship, has failed to finish on the top three for six races

"Verstappen had a strong performance. I made the mistake early on and was too punchy on that first turn," said Norris

"It's still a positive outcome to secure second place. I've got to praise Verstappen and his team"

Following Qatar, the last event of the championship takes place in Abu Dhabi on December 7th

The key stories of among Formula 1's most prestigious races were:

• Lando Norris maintained his momentum towards the championship despite the victory to Max Verstappen

• Piastri's difficult run of form continued as his championship chances wane

• A superb victory for Max Verstappen to maintain him in the title fight

• Recoveries for the two Ferrari drivers, following a tough qualifying session, with Lewis Hamilton securing a single point for 10th following starting at the back

At the start, Norris was true to his statement that he was "not here not to take risks" as he fought hard to defend his advantage from starting first from Verstappen

However after an forceful cut in front of Verstappen to head off the Dutchman's attack on the inside, the McLaren driver misjudged his braking zone and went too deep into the corner

That allowed Verstappen to drive past into the first place while the British driver lost second place to Russell

Through two VSC periods for some early incidents, including at the start when the Racing Bulls Liam Lawson collided with Oscar Piastri, Max Verstappen gradually established dominance on the race

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

Norris stopped five circuits following the Mercedes driver and Verstappen ten laps later

The Red Bull driver was could rejoin still in the lead, George Russell having been failed to close in on the Red Bull car despite his fresher tyres

Norris rejoined behind George Russell from his stop but after a few cautious laps to let his tyres to settle, quickly closed his three-point-three second deficit to the Mercedes driver and swept by into second place on the thirty-fourth lap

The British driver asked his engineer how to manage the rest of his race, essentially asking whether he should accept second or challenge for the lead

He was instructed to "chase down Verstappen" but it soon became clear he had little opportunity. Max Verstappen was easily able to defend against Lando's attacks, and in the final laps the gap extended substantially as the McLaren car began to suffer a mechanical problem which has so far remained unidentified

Despite losing nearly three seconds a lap, Norris was could hold off Russell because of the size of the lead he had established while chasing Max Verstappen

The Red Bull driver's sixth victory of the championship - only one behind both McLaren teammates - was taken in dominant fashion and maintains him in championship contention, at minimum theoretically, even if he needs issues for Lando Norris in both remaining races to overtake him

"It remains a big gap, we always try to optimize everything we've have," Verstappen stated

"In upcoming weekends we will try to take victory in the event and at the end of Abu Dhabi we will see where we finish, but I'm extremely pleased of everyone"

Oscar Piastri began fifth but lost two positions on the first circuit after being hit by Liam Lawson, who was quickly eliminated of the battle by a damaged front wing

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

Piastri finished behind the Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli, who ran almost the whole event on the durable compound after stopping during the first virtual safety car, but was given a five second penalty for a starting procedure violation, which was not immediately obvious on replays

"It proved to be a frustrating event from essentially beginning to end in some ways," Oscar Piastri told race broadcasters

Asked about how he would approach the remaining events, he said: "Just attempt to position myself in the optimal situation I can. I clearly require quite a lot of factors to favor me at this stage to take the title, but all I can do is make myself in the ideal situation to capitalise if something happens"

Leclerc hung on in sixth position, insufficiently close to benefit from Antonelli's time penalty, while Sainz fell to seventh at the flag, his Williams car missing the pace to challenge with the top teams in the dry, following his impressive showing to start in third in the wet

Isack Hadjar took eighth place ahead of the Sauber of Nico Hulkenberg and Hamilton

The seven-time champion executed a flying start, rising to thirteenth on the opening circuit and proceeded to advance positions

He got stuck in a slipstream group with a group of additional vehicles but was able to employ his electric start to salvage a point after the poorest qualifying performance of his career