LAS VEGAS: Max Verstappen won for the second time in four races and the four-time reigning Formula 1 champion continued to claw his way back into title picture with a Saturday night victory at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
It is the second time in three years the Dutchman has won on the streets of Las Vegas that utilizes a part of the famed Strip. He won the inaugural race in 2023 and clinched his fourth consecutive title here last year.
Now he has another win at an event he despised ahead of its debut because of the bright spotlight promoters placed on celebrities and parties instead of the actual competition. But when it comes time to get in the car, no matter how Verstappen feels about the event, he seems to excel.
Verstappen started second but took control of the race in the very first turn when current points leader Lando Norris made an aggressive move to cut in front of him at the start but wound up sliding wide of the turn in his McLaren. Verstappen moved to the lead and George Russell darted past Norris into second.
Norris found himself stuck back in third, and teammate Oscar Piastri fared no better as the Australian lost two spots on the start to drop from fifth to seventh. The two McLaren drivers have swapped the lead in the driver standings all season and Norris held a 24-point lead over Piastri at the start, while Verstappen was 49 points back.
Norris finished second and Russell was third, and with two races remaining on the year Norris’ lead is 30 points over Piastri and Verstappen trimmed his deficit to 42 points.
Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes crossed the finish line in fourth but a penalty dropped him a spot to fifth, which moved Piastri to fourth.
The biggest mover of the race was seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who qualified 20th in Ferrari’s first last-place qualifying result since 2009. He actually started 19th and immediately gained six spots. Hamilton steadily picked his way through the field and finished 10th.
For Verstappen, it was his eighth consecutive podium and he beat Norris by nearly 20 seconds.
Max Verstappen wins Las Vegas Grand Prix, narrows F1 points gap
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Max Verstappen wins Las Vegas Grand Prix, narrows F1 points gap
- It is the second time in three years the Dutchman has won on the streets of Las Vegas that utilizes a part of the famed Strip
- He won the inaugural race in 2023 and clinched his fourth consecutive title there last year
Italy enjoys a record-breaking day at the Winter Olympics by claiming six medals
- The Italy team won silver in the mixed relay biathlon race and Riccardo Lorello claimed bronze in the men’s speedskating 5,000 meters
MILAN: This could turn out to be Italy’s best Winter Olympics ever after a record-breaking day on home snow and ice.
The host nation picked up six medals on Sunday, the most Italy has ever won in a single day at the Winter Olympics. The breakdown: one silver and five bronze.
Ski star Sofia Goggia kicked it off with a bronze medal in the women’s downhill and Lucia Dalmasso was also third in snowboarding’s parallel giant slalom.
The Italy team won silver in the mixed relay biathlon race and Riccardo Lorello claimed bronze in the men’s speedskating 5,000 meters.
The official X account for the Milan Cortina Games proclaimed it to be Italy’s best day in Winter Olympics history. And that was before Dominik Fischnaller won bronze in men’s singles luge, and before Italy took bronze in the figure skating team event in the evening.
“Competing at home is definitely something unique. The fans did their part,” Lorello said. “I’m very happy to have put the cherry on top tonight. And I’m proud of all of my Italian teammates in the other sports.”
Italy has nine medals after just two days of medal events, with the host nation winning gold, silver and bronze on Saturday.
The Azzurri are almost halfway to their best ever tally at a Winter Games, that was 20 at Lillehammer in 1994.
Italy won 11 medals the last time it hosted the Games, in Turin in 2006. It claimed 17 in Beijing four years ago.
At a ceremony in October to mark 100 days to go until the start of the Milan Cortina Games, Italian Olympic Committee president Luciano Buonfiglio said Italy was aiming for a minimum target of 19 medals.
