Verstappen wins Las Vegas Grand Prix thriller

World champion Max Verstappen claimed the 18th win of his record-breaking season, with victory in a thrilling Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc overtook Red Bull’s Sergio Perez on the last lap to grab second place ahead of the Mexican with French driver Esteban Ocon of Alpine finishing fourth.

Verstappen had been highly critical of the return of Formula One to Vegas after a 41-year absence, but as he drove past the finish line, he celebrated with a chorus of ‘Viva Las Vegas’ on the team radio.

The pre-race grid was packed with a host of celebrities from the world of music, sport and entertainment as memories of the embarrassment of the opening practice session on Thursday being stopped early due to a loose water valve on the track, faded.

When the race was under way, the low grip on the track made sure there was no shortage of incident, overtaking and lead changes, as the night race delivered the entertainment the American promotors had craved from the new event.

The Dutchman won by 2.070 over Leclerc but had to work for his victory in what was the latest starting race in F1 history.

“It was a tough one. I tried to go for it at the start. We both braked quite late and I just ran out of grip, so we ended up a bit wide,” said the triple world champion.