The Las Vegas Grand Prix provided a thrilling spectacle for Formula 1 fans, with Max Verstappen securing his 18th win of the season while Lewis Hamilton finished in seventh place. The race saw plenty of action, contrary to initial concerns, and sparked a war of words between the two championship contenders.
Hamilton, who gained several positions but fell short of the podium, couldn’t resist taking a cheeky dig at Verstappen during his post-race interview. “There were lots of great overtaking opportunities, and I think for all those who were so negative about the weekend, saying it was all about show, blah blah blah, I think Vegas proved them wrong,” remarked Hamilton.
Verstappen, a vocal critic throughout the weekend, had expressed skepticism about the Las Vegas Grand Prix, accusing F1 of prioritizing the ‘show’ over actual racing. He used a football analogy to downplay the event, stating, “I think Monaco is like the Champions League; this is National League.”
Despite his pre-race criticism, Verstappen’s perspective seemed to shift after his victory. “The DRS around here was very powerful. Even when you would take the lead if the guy behind stays in the DRS, he would still have the opportunity to come back to you, so it created a lot of good racing today,” said Verstappen.
The Dutchman acknowledged the quality of wheel-to-wheel racing in Las Vegas and expressed excitement about returning next year. “Definitely a lot of fun, great crowd. I hope everyone enjoyed it. We definitely did, so already excited to come back here next year and hopefully try to do something similar,” he added.
The contrasting views between Hamilton and Verstappen add an intriguing layer to their intense rivalry as the Formula 1 season continues to unfold.