Lando Norris Advances Closer to Championship as Max Verstappen Secures Vegas Grand Prix Win

McLaren's Lando Norris stepped closer to his first world title with runner-up position in the Las Vegas Grand Prix following Red Bull's Max Verstappen

Norris currently heads fellow McLaren driver Oscar Piastri, who ended up 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 17 to Verstappen

Piastri, so strong in the first half of the championship, has not finished on the top three for six races

"Max had a good race. I erred early on and was overly aggressive on that first turn," stated Norris

"It remains a good result to get second place. I've got to praise Verstappen and Red Bull"

After Qatar, the final race of the championship follows in Abu Dhabi on 7 December

The key stories of one of Formula 1's most prestigious races were:

• Lando Norris continued his momentum towards the title losing the win to Max Verstappen

• Piastri's difficult run of form continued as his championship chances wane

• A superb win for Max Verstappen to maintain him in the title fight

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

At the start, Lando Norris was faithful to his claim that he was "not present not to take risks" as he battled aggressively to protect his advantage from pole position from Max Verstappen

But following an forceful cut in front of the Red Bull driver to head off the Verstappen's attack on the inner line, Norris miscalculated his braking point and ran deep into the corner

That enabled Verstappen to drive past into the lead while the British driver also second place to George Russell

Through two VSC periods for several opening-lap incidents, including at the beginning when Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson made contact with Oscar Piastri, Max Verstappen gradually stamped his authority on the event

Russell undertook an early tire change for the more durable compound, but Norris and Verstappen stayed out

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

Verstappen was able to return still in the first place, Russell having been unable to close in on the Red Bull car despite his fresher tyres

Norris returned behind Russell from his stop but after a several careful circuits to let his tyres to settle, quickly closed his three-point-three second gap to the Mercedes driver and overtook into runner-up position on lap 34

Norris asked his engineer how to run the remainder of his race, essentially questioning whether he should settle for second place or attack

He was told to "chase down Max" but it soon became clear he had no chance. Max Verstappen was easily able to repel Lando's challenges, and in the closing stages the gap extended substantially as the McLaren started to suffer a mechanical problem which has thus far remained unidentified

Despite losing almost three seconds a circuit, Lando Norris was able to hold off George Russell because of the size of the lead he had established while chasing Max Verstappen

The Verstappen's sixth win of the championship - only one less than both McLaren drivers - was taken in dominant fashion and keeps him in championship contention, at least theoretically, although he needs issues for Norris in both remaining races to pass him

"It's still a big gap, we always try to optimize all we've got," Verstappen stated

"During the coming events we will try to take victory in the race and by the conclusion of Abu Dhabi we will know where we finish, but I'm extremely pleased of everyone"

Oscar Piastri started in fifth but lost two places on the opening lap following being hit by Liam Lawson, who was soon taken out of the battle by a damaged nose section

He followed Lawson's team-mate Isack Hadjar for the first 15 laps before overtaking him on the Strip but also out to Leclerc, who he was could repass during the tire change phase

Piastri ended up after the Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli, who competed nearly the whole event on the durable compound following pitting during the initial VSC, but was awarded a five-second time penalty for a start-line infringement, which was not immediately obvious on replays

"It proved to be a disappointing race from essentially start to finish in certain respects," Oscar Piastri informed BBC Radio 5 Live

Asked about how he would tackle the final two races, he commented: "Just try to position myself in the optimal situation I can. I obviously need several of factors to go my way at this stage to take the title, but my only option is make myself in the best position to capitalise if something happens"

Charles Leclerc hung on in sixth place, not close enough to benefit from Antonelli's time penalty, while Sainz fell to seventh at the flag, his Williams missing the speed to compete with the leading outfits in the dry conditions, after his impressive performance to qualify in third in the wet

Hadjar took eighth before Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg and Hamilton

The seven-time champion executed a strong getaway, rising to thirteenth on the opening circuit and proceeded to move forwards

He became trapped in a DRS train with a group of other cars but was could use his electric start to salvage a point after the poorest qualifying session of his career