Verstappen targets Vegas victory as he hunts down 4th title

After an awe-inspiring victory last time out in Brazil, Max Verstappen is hopeful that the momentum can help propel him to his fourth world title.

With the paddock preparing for the chilly spectacle of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, all eyes are on the Dutchman’s commanding lead in the standings over Lando Norris – a top spot finish this weekend, regardless of where the Brit places, would grant him the title.

Verstappen has failed to win two races in a row since June, when he crossed the line first in Canada and Spain, but his remarkable drive from P17 to P1 in Brazil could give him the energy needed to repeat the feat.

Red Bull appear to have ironed out the car issues that compromised their performance after the summer break, helping the reigning champion to extend his lead to 62 points over his McLaren rival.

Red Bull Racing's Dutch driver Max Verstappen celebrates at the podium of the Formula One Sao Paulo Grand Prix, at the Jose Carlos Pace racetrack, aka Interlagos, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on November 3, 2024. (Photo by Miguel Schincariol / AFP) — Verstappen's victory in Brazil marked his eighth Grand Prix win of the 2024 season

Asked whether the team had prepared anything special for the eventuality that he secures the championship in Las Vegas, Verstappen said: “If they did, I don’t want to know! I just want to focus on the weekend and try to have a good performance. Brazil was a very welcome victory for us after a while, but this is again very different.

“Going off the last races we were definitely not the quickest car so we’ll see what we can do here. Last year we had a fun race here but Ferrari was very fast already. This track seems to suit their car but I hope that we can be in that fight this weekend to try and win again.”

At the inaugural race around the dazzling Las Vegas Strip last season, the 27-year-old took victory ahead of Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez after recovering from a time penalty in the incident-filled event.

A similar result on track would round off his rollercoaster of a season in the perfect fashion, but while the threat of Norris has seemingly diminished in regards to points, the Dutchman was still reluctant to speak too soon about his potential fourth title.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 18: Race winner Max Verstappen talks with Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner after the F1 Grand Prix of Las Vegas on November 18, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) — This time last year, Verstappen had already sealed his third world title in the most dominant season of his career

“It looks a bit better now in the championship but we’ll see this weekend,” he summarised. “We have good hopes to be competitive but I don’t know how competitive. I do feel that even in Brazil in the dry, we were quite decent finally again in race pace.

“This, of course, is a completely different track, completely different temperatures. I just hope that we can continue that momentum a little bit. There’s plenty to race for still – even in the constructors’ I think there is a chance so we’ll see what we can do.”

The battle between the top teams is tight as they head into the final races, with Red Bull just 49 points behind leaders McLaren and 13 adrift of Ferrari, but the Milton Keynes outfit could make a major statement if they seal the drivers’ title earlier rather than later.

Verstappen said: “I’m just looking forward to the weekend. Three races left, you’re getting close to the end of the season and it’s looking good in the championship but we still need to score a lot of points so we’ll just focus on that.

“Once we are doing that then you get closer to the end result. Of course, the target is to win the championship.”