There was plenty of controversy leading up to the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix. Locals were very vocal online about the disruption Formula One would bring to their city. Some went as far as dismantling privacy screens meant to obstruct views of the track.

Several F1 drivers were sceptical of the weekend too. The main criticism being Formula One seemed to be more keen on the ‘show’ side of the business, instead of the actual racing. But there were signs that the layout and track conditions would serve up some epic racing.

All the hallmarks for a grandstand finish are there – think high speed corners and a lack of grip from the low track temperatures. But what exactly happened at the race? Here are five main stories of the Las Vegas Grand Prix!

5. Alonso Makes Rare Mistake

Prior to the race start, there was an oil leak from one of the support vehicles. This was rectified when the organisers soaked the spillage up with an absorbent material. Mind you, even without this added risk of jeopardy, the track itself was cold enough that drivers were all struggling for tyre temperature (and thus, grip).

Alonso, famed for still consistently performing at insanely high levels, seemingly made a mistake in the first corner. The rear axle appears to have locked when he applied the brakes, sending him into a spin right through the mid-pack. Valterri Bottas, in a bid to avoid the Aston Martin, slammed on his brakes, only to be rear ended by the Red Bull of Sergio Perez. The Alfa Romeo was then sent into the Aston Martin, further damaging both cars.

4. Ferrari Really Has the Speed

Well, for the most part anyways. Leclerc and Sainz qualified 1-2, with Sainz dropping back to 12th after a harsh penalty for taking on new power unit components after a drain cover came loose on Thursday’s first practice. They had good race pace all throughout too. Sainz recovered well to finish 6th.

Leclerc also looked like he had front-running pace too. Verstappen may have gotten the jump on him into T1 on the first lap, but his questionable move was deemed too aggressive by the stewards and he was given a five second time penalty. The front pair were doing very similar lap times, but a strategic pit stop under the second safety car meant that the Red Bull duo had a significant tyre advantage in the closing stages of the race, making the Ferrari driver extremely vulnerable as a result.

3. Horrid Luck for Mercedes

Well, at the very least, horrid luck for Hamilton. The seven-time world champion was recovering after a poor qualifying. He was well into the points when he made the slightest of contact with the McLaren of Oscar Piastri. The Australian suffered an immediate puncture and pitted the same lap. Unfortunately, the Mercedes driver suffered a less detectable slow puncture, and spent an additional lap losing all of the positions he gained earlier in the race.

As for Russell, whilst his race was fairly solid overall, a clumsy misjudgement saw him make contact with Max Verstappen. This damaged his Mercedes, shattering his front left wheel cover in the process. It also netted him a five second time penalty, ultimately dropping him to eighth after an on-road fifth. These points may prove crucial – had he not gotten the penalty, Mercedes would have been six points clear of Ferrari going into the final race of the season.

2. High Speed Off for Lando Norris

Lando Norris didn’t make it very far into the race. He crashed spectacularly very early on, almost taking out his teammate in the process. The McLaren went over a bump in the middle of turn 12, which upset the car at a flat-out bit of the track. At the speeds the rear stepped out at, there was little the Briton could do.

He was initially brought to the medical centre, before he was then transferred to a local hospital for precautionary checks. Thankfully, despite the massive hit, Lando Norris was okay. McLaren admits that their driver sounded fairly winded though, which you’d expect with such a collision!

1. Red Bulls Are Quick Regardless of the Circumstance

Leclerc may have had the overall pace to mount a challenge to the Red Bulls, but you need to keep in mind that both Verstappen and Perez were carrying car damage throughout the race. And the Mexican driver was also carrying a drag penalty, favouring a higher downforce configuration for the twisty sections in the middle.

Verstappen had chunks of his front wing missing from the Russell collision, and yet still managed to set competitive lap times throughout the race. Even though there was a second safety car, Red Bull opted to not change his nose cone, so he wouldn’t lose precious track position on a street track. The car was still rapid enough that he managed to win the race.

One Last Race in 2023

The Formula One season ends at the next race in Abu Dhabi. Red Bull has long won both titles, and Perez cemented his spot as overall runner-up this season. But there’s still plenty of racing to go. Mercedes and Ferrari are fighting over second in the championship, and there are four drivers squabbling for P4.

We’ll be reposting the race recaps of our favourite races from the second half of the season on our Facebook page throughout the course of this week. The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend starts on the 24th of November, with the race itself being held on the 26th!

Photo Credit: Red Bull Content Pool, Mercedes, Aston Martin

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