Max Verstappen may have been dismissive in his opening assessment of last year’s inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix but by the time he victoriously crossed the line under the neon glow of the Strip he had, as so many before, fallen to the wiles of Sin City. On the floors of the casinos amid the miasma of smoke and bellows of adulation at the roll of a dice, Verstappen is recognised as a man who makes his own luck and no city in the world is better placed to acknowledge that.
As he stands ready to claim his fourth consecutive Formula One world championship, Las Vegas is the perfect backdrop for this singular driver. F1, which promotes the race, has spent a fortune on establishing it perhaps as the most striking example of turning a race weekend into an event. Each one a Super Bowl was the grand ambition when Liberty Media took over the sport in 2017 with races in “destination cities” and in Las Vegas it has that and the potential spectacle to match with a world champion ready to cash out again in Nevada.
The city is once more abuzz with F1, this time in hosting what is likely to be the championship decider rather than last year’s novelty of having the sport take to the streets here. The queue for the F1 Hub shop at the Venetian stretched more than 200 metres alongside the artificial canals. The number of race shirts in hotels has rocketed as the week has gone on, with Red Bull and Verstappen very well represented, among fans who respect success and are aware they are witnessing a rare talent.
Briefly separated from the arcane magic of the craps table, Greg Martin, who flew in from Colorado for the race and has no affiliation to any team or driver but enjoys what US fans refer to as “auto racing” in all its forms, has been drawn to Verstappen’s spirit. “He’s a fighter,” he said. “He races hard, he gives it his all. That’s what you want to see. It should be tough and when it is, the best comes out on top. That’s why I’ve come to see Max win.”
It’s an opinion shared by many fans here hoping to see the F1 title concluded in Vegas despite what is regarded as ruthlessness beyond the pale in Verstappen’s driving. Indeed the Dutchman has been penalised as such, but it is also a trait exhibited by some of the greatest drivers in the sport, including Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher. Right here, right now, in Vegas, winning is what matters and Verstappen is awfully good at winning.
Although he was, as always, circumspect when the weekend opened. “I’m just looking forward to the weekend,” he said. “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.”
Should he do so, expect a special show of recognition in his honour from the fountains at the Bellagio. And the show, lest it be forgot, is important. Last year opened with something of a debacle. First practice stopped after only eight minutes when the cover on a water valve ripped loose under Carlos Sainz’s car ended the session, ultimately leading to a delayed second practice in front of empty grandstands after the staff working there had reached their work hours limits and could no longer attend.
Yet it concluded with a thrilling race that more than delivered on the hype, Verstappen winning after a mighty comeback drive. F1 had pulled it off, doubtless to no little sighs of relief in the boardroom.
With an over-the-top emphasis on the entertainment last time and demands on the drivers to perform, Verstappen decried it as “99% show and 1% sporting event” in the buildup; after a cracking race he was converted, singing along to Viva Las Vegas on his in-lap.
The circumstances this time are markedly different. Last year Verstappen had gone into the race having already cantered to the title in a season he completely controlled, sealed four rounds before Las Vegas. This time he has had to fight for it and to conclude it in the city that has seen so many decisive title fight bouts in the past is entirely appropriate.
To do so is straightforward enough. Verstappen leads McLaren’s Lando Norris by 62 points and if he takes the flag on Saturday night with a lead of 60, the title is won. Any finish in front of Norris will be enough, while the British driver must outscore Verstappen by at least three points to take it to the next round in Doha.
F1 of course will be hoping Verstappen does do it in the spotlight of a city of spectacle and excess with acclaim. After all, should he fail to do so but by a tiny margin, the spectre remains that he will once more finish the job at the next round, in a sprint race at Qatar in an all but empty, soulless enormo-drome in the desert. That would be the dampest of squibs that could not be further from the overwhelmingly celebratory blast Las Vegas has been enjoying all week.
