Lando Norris Advances Closer to Championship as Max Verstappen Takes Vegas Grand Prix Victory

The McLaren Lando Norris stepped closer to a maiden world title with runner-up position in the Vegas race behind the Red Bull of Max Verstappen

Norris currently heads teammate Oscar Piastri, who finished fourth after the Mercedes of George Russell, by 30 points going into the second-to-last race in Qatar this coming weekend

Norris will claim the title in the desert as long as he does not lose over five points to Piastri in Losail, or seventeen to Verstappen

The Australian driver, so impressive in the first half of the season, has failed to finish on the podium for six consecutive events

"Verstappen had a strong performance. I erred at the beginning and was overly aggressive on that first turn," said Norris

"It's still a good result to get second. I've got to praise Max and Red Bull"

After Qatar, the last event of the season follows in Abu Dhabi on December 7th

The key stories of among Formula 1's most high-profile races were:

• Norris maintained his momentum towards the title despite the win to Verstappen

• Piastri's difficult performance streak continued as his championship chances wane

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

• Fightbacks for both Ferrari drivers, after a tough qualifying, with Lewis Hamilton securing a point for tenth place following starting at the back

At the start, Norris was faithful to his statement that he was "not here not to take risks" as he battled aggressively to defend his advantage from starting first from Max Verstappen

However after an aggressive move in front of the Red Bull driver to head off the Verstappen's challenge on the inner line, the McLaren driver misjudged his braking point and went too deep into the turn

That enabled Max Verstappen to overtake into the first place while the British driver lost the runner-up spot to George Russell

During two virtual safety cars for several opening-lap incidents, featuring at the beginning when Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson collided with Piastri, Max Verstappen slowly established dominance on the race

Russell made an early tire change for the more durable compound, but Lando Norris and Verstappen remained on track

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

Verstappen was able to rejoin still in the first place, George Russell having been failed to close in on the Red Bull car even with his fresher tyres

Lando Norris rejoined after Russell from his stop but after a few cautious laps to let his tires to warm up, quickly closed his three-point-three second gap to the Mercedes driver and overtook into runner-up position on lap 34

Norris asked his race engineer how to run the remainder of his race, essentially asking whether he should settle for second or challenge for the lead

He was told to "go and get Max" but it quickly became apparent he had no chance. Max Verstappen was readily could repel Lando's attacks, and in the final laps the gap extended substantially as the McLaren began to suffer a mechanical problem which has thus far remained unidentified

Despite dropping almost three seconds a circuit, Norris was able to hold off Russell because of the size of the lead he had built while chasing Verstappen

The Verstappen's sixth win of the season - only one behind the two McLaren teammates - was achieved in dominant fashion and maintains him in title contention, at least theoretically, even if he needs problems for Norris in the final two events to pass him

"It remains a big gap, we always try to maximise all we've have," Max Verstappen said

"In upcoming weekends we will attempt to take victory in the race and at the end of Abu Dhabi we will know where we finish, but I'm very proud of the entire team"

Oscar Piastri started in fifth but dropped two positions on the opening lap after being hit by Lawson, who was soon eliminated of contention by a damaged nose section

He followed Liam Lawson's team-mate Isack Hadjar for the opening fifteen circuits before passing him on the Las Vegas Strip but also out to Charles Leclerc, who he was able to overtake again during the tire change phase

The Australian finished after Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli, who competed almost the entire race on hard tyres after pitting during the first virtual safety car, but was given a five-second penalty for a starting procedure infringement, which was not clearly visible on video reviews

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

Asked about how he would tackle the final two races, he said: "Just try to put myself in the optimal situation I can. I obviously require quite a lot of things to go my way at this stage to take the title, but my only option is make myself in the ideal situation to take advantage if something happens"

Charles Leclerc hung on in sixth place, not close enough to benefit from Kimi Antonelli's penalty, while Sainz dropped to seventh at the finish, his Williams lacking the speed to challenge with the leading outfits in the dry, after his impressive showing to start in third in the wet weather

Isack Hadjar secured eighth place before the Sauber of Nico Hulkenberg and Lewis Hamilton

The seven-time title winner executed a flying start, up to thirteenth on the first lap and proceeded to move forwards

He became trapped in a slipstream group with a group of other cars but was could use his electric start to rescue a championship point following the poorest qualifying session of his racing life