- Mercedes F1 secured a one-two finish at the Las Vegas GP, with George Russell taking the win and Lewis Hamilton coming in second.
In a huge turnaround, the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 team saw a one-two win at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. George Russell clinched the victory during the event after finishing 1:22:05.969. Lewis Hamilton trailed his teammate 7.313 seconds later.
Mercedes F1 at the Las Vegas GP
Mercedes F1’s triumph came as a breath of fresh air following Hamilton’s disastrous outing at the Brazilian GP. The same event led to the seven-time champ almost quitting the season upon finding his car “undrivable” and describing the entire affair as “the bumpiest ride ever.” The Sao Paolo race also denied Russell a podium finish.
Next to the duo was Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, whom Mercedes F1’s star driver will be replacing in the 2025 season. Charles Leclerc followed his teammate in the fourth place.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen only finished fifth in the race. However, he was already almost assured the Drivers Championship on the way to the event. All he needed was to score enough points to ensure the gap between him and McLaren’s Lando Norris.
Russell started on a pole position this Sunday. Yet, he faced significant pressure from his Ferrari rivals along the way. The 26-year-old British driver eventually managed to keep Leclerc at bay to snag the win that has eluded Mercedes F1 after the Belgian GP in July.
On the other hand, Hamilton’s mix of experience and skill once again came in handy during the event. The veteran driver’s perfect execution of a two-stop strategy allowed him to capitalize on the tire struggles of the Ferraris and MacLarens on the way to overtaking Verstappen.
Status in the F1 Rankings
The latest developments increased Russell’s score in the Drivers Standings to 217, while Hamilton took his score up to 208. The drivers are now sixth and seventh in this season’s rankings, respectively. Meanwhile, Mercedes F1 currently sits on the fourth of the team Constructors Standings with 425 points.