Formula 1

Max Verstappen didn't rest on his laurels after securing a fourth straight Formula One championship.

A week removed from clinching, Verstappen won the Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday.

With the drivers' championship race now over, the focus has shifted to the constructor standings.

Red Bull, which trailed McLaren and Ferrari in third, claimed the top spot on Sunday. The team was unable to gain any ground, though, since Charles Leclerc repped Ferrari well in second place and Oscar Piastri got McLaren onto the podium.

McLaren remains in the lead heading into the season finale, but the door is wide open for Ferrari to move into first place on the last day.

"I would have signed straight away a paper that told me we would have finished second on this track after a weekend like this because our car characteristics were not fitting very well with this track," Leclerc said after the Qatar Grand Prix, per the Guardian's Yara El-Shaboury.

"We knew it was going to be a very difficult weekend compared to McLaren but in the end we managed to take some point away from them so the fight will be all the way to the last race in Abu Dhabi next week."

In terms of the Grand Prix itself, Verstappen's triumph was relatively anticlimactic. Thanks to a grid penalty, he started second behind George Russell but overtook the British star on the opening lap. It was academic from there as no one seriously challenged "Mad Max" for the duration of the race.

Verstappen, who has been far more inconsistent compared to 2023, has displayed his usual dominance down the home stretch of the 2024 campaign.

Russell, meanwhile, fell back to fourth by the time he crossed the finish line. He also received a time penalty, which didn't affect his outcome.

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit will bring the season to a close. Verstappen is the four-time reigning champion at the track and he'll be the heavy favorite, assuming he doesn't encounter any major setbacks in qualifying.

The battle over the constructors' title should at least supply plenty of drama.

Max Verstappen secured his fourth straight Formula One championship with a fifth-place showing in Saturday's Las Vegas Grand Prix.

George Russell won the race itself, finishing 7.313 seconds ahead of Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton. The 26-year-old has two checkered flags for the 2024 season.

Hamilton, meanwhile, got onto the podium for the first time since winning the Belgian Grand Prix in July. A runner-up finish was a major improvement from starting in 10th.

Ultimately the spotlight in Sin City belonged to Verstappen, though. His four championships put him into a tie with Alain Prost and Sebastian Vettel for the third-most in F1 history. Only Hamilton, Michael Schumacher and Juan Manuel Fangio have more.

Unlike in 2023, Verstappen had to face a little bit of adversity on the road to his title.

Last year, the Red Bull Racing clinched the F1 championship in early October. No driver had ever been as dominant from start to finish in a single season.

It looked like 2024 might be more of the same when Verstappen opened with seven straight poles and five victories. His performance tailed off a bit, however, which opened the door for a challenge by Lando Norris.

When Norris cruised past the field in the Singapore Grand Prix, some fans might've begun to talk themselves into his long-shot bid to overtake Verstappen.

In the end, Verstappen was simply inevitable.

"He drove a better season than I did, he deserved it more than anyone else," Norris said after the Las Vegas Grand Prix. "Max just doesn't have a weakness.

"When he's got the best car he dominates and when he's not got the best car he's still just there always, always there to make your life tough and difficult."

Carlos Sainz chose to put a more positive spin on things since Verstappen didn't turn this year into one long coronation.

"As much as I think Max did an incredible job this year... the second half of the season just shows that when we are all in more of equal machinery, we can go up against each other and make each other's lives difficult," he said.

Two more races remain on the F1 calendar. The Qatar Grand Prix is the next stop this coming week with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to follow on Dec. 8.

The constructors title remains up for grabs with McLaren leading Ferrari by just 24 points, so there's more than just pride on the line across the two events.

Legendary Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton admitted this week that there was a moment during the Brazilian Grand Prix earlier this month where he felt the desire to bring an early end to his tenure at Mercedes.

Hamilton was heard on the team radio during the race suggesting that it would perhaps be his final race with Mercedes, and he told reporters Thursday that he was speaking from the heart in that moment:

"In the moment that's how I felt, like I didn't really want to come back after that weekend. But I think that's only natural. It's frustrating when you have a season like this, which I'm pretty sure I won't have again, or at least I'll work towards not having again.

"It wasn't a great feeling in that moment, but I'm here, I'm standing strong and I'm going to give it absolutely everything for these last few races."

Hamilton is in the midst of his final season with Mercedes before making the leap to Ferrari next season, but despite his comments in Brazil, he plans to see things through to the end by running the final three races of the 2024 campaign for Mercedes.

The 39-year-old Hamilton qualified a disappointing 16th for the race in Brazil before finishing 10th in rainy conditions., which is foreign territory for arguably the greatest F1 driver of all time.

Hamilton holds the all-time F1 record for race wins with 105, and he is tied with Michael Schumacher for the most career F1 drivers championships with seven.

For all his dominance, the past few years have been something of a slog for Hamilton, as nothing has come easily.

Although he finished sixth in points in 2022 and third in 2023, he didn't win a single race in either season. Hamilton got back in the win column this season with victories in the British Grand Prix and Belgian Grand Prix, but consistency has eluded him.

Due to having to retire from two races and registering five other finishes of ninth or 10th, Hamilton is only seventh in the standings.

If Hamilton doesn't move up at all over the final three races of the season, it will mark his worst-ever finish in the F1 standings since debuting in 2007.

Despite the trials and tribulations of the season, Hamilton claimed Thursday that he is in a positive headspace and ready to go out on a high note, saying:

"Honestly, I feel in the best place I've been all year mentally, and considering how bad the last race was, I think that says enough.

"I'm still here, still fighting and I'm going to continue to push. I've got a team that I genuinely still love, and even though I am leaving, I want to make sure I give them the best I can in these next races. If they provide a car that wants to stay on track then hopefully we'll have a better result."

Hamilton and Mercedes will long be remembered as one of the best partnerships in the history of motorsports, so it would only be fitting for him to end his tenure with the team triumphantly.

A storybook points title in his final season at Mercedes won't be in the cards with Max Verstappen dominating once again, but Hamilton will have three more chances to get another race win under his belt before departing for Ferrari.

It starts Sunday with the Las Vegas Grand Prix, followed by the Qatar Grand Prix on Dec. 1 and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Dec. 8.

Max Verstappen started F1 São Paulo GP in 17th but finished it in first place for his eighth win of the season.

Formula 1 put Verstappen's remarkable feat in context.

Verstappen, who has won the last three F1 World Drivers' Championship titles, is well on his way to a fourth now, especially after his win Sunday.

Verstappen has already established himself as an F1 legend long before Sunday, but he added another brilliant chapter to his legacy with his win from 17th.

Needless to say, Verstappen received plenty of adulation for his brilliant performance.

It was also a great day for Alpine, which got a double on the podium with Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly finishing second and third, respectively.

But Verstappen reigned supreme on a rainy day in São Paulo.

The latest driver standings feature Verstappen in first with 393 points, followed by Lando Norris (331) and Charles Leclerc (307).

Three races remain this season in Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi. Up first is Las Vegas on Nov. 24.

Carlos Sainz claimed victory at the Mexico City Grand Prix on Sunday.

The Spanish driver raced to victory at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, finishing over four seconds ahead of Lando Norris, who claimed second.

Sainz and Ferrari showcased impressive speed and consistency throughout the race, earning crucial points and helping Ferrari overtake Red Bull for second place in the Constructor standings.

Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes finished in fourth place, 44.780 seconds behind the leader. Notably, Red Bull's Max Verstappen completed the race in sixth.

Verstappen received a 20-second penalty after forcing Norris off the track early in the race while the two battled for second-place positioning.

Norris could be heard telling McLaren over the radio, "This guy is dangerous, I just had to avoid a crash," according to ESPN's Nate Saunders. "It's the same as last time."

Verstappen remains the current leader in the driver standings with 362 points, but Norris is putting the pressure on him in second place with 315 points. Sainz currently stands in fifth with 240 points and Hamilton has 189 points, good for sixth place.

McLaren continues to lead the Constructors Championship with 566 points, while Ferrari is right on their heels after today's performance with 537 points. Red Bull is closely trailing in third with 512 points.

Building on this victory, Sainz will look to carry forward the momentum into next week's São Paulo Grand Prix in Brazil with a strong chance to move up to fourth place.

Charles LeClerc has emerged victorious in Austin.

The Monacan driver cruised to a victory at the 2024 USA F1 Grand Prix, finishing with a blazing time of 1:35:09.639.

LeClerc finished 8.5 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Carlos Sainz. The two are teammates for Ferrari and became the first Ferrari 1-2 at the U.S. Grand Prix since Michael Schumacher and Felipe Massa finished in first and second in 2006.

Max Verstappen finished the race in third and was nearly 20 seconds behind LeClerc. Lewis Hamilton did not finish the race and came in last place.

Verstappen still currently leads the F1 standings with 354 points but LeClerc is third and pushing Lando Norris for the second place slot.

Norris nearly claimed third place over Verstappen but was penalized and knocked down to fourth place. The penalty was assessed due to Norris passing Verstappen offtrack. Norris expressed frustration at the ruling.

McLaren remains in the lead for the constructors championship, with Red Bull currently sitting in second place and Ferrari being close behind in third.

LeClerc will hope to take this momentum into next week's Mexican Grand Prix and potentially move into second place. Verstappen still holds a significant lead over the field, but will need to push for more podium finishes in order to seal the overall victory.

F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo is leaving the RB immediately, the team announced Thursday, despite six races remaining on the calendar.

Red Bull reserve Liam Lawson was named as Ricciardo's replacement for the rest of the season, with his first race to be at the United States Grand Prix in Austin.

"Everyone here at VCARB would like to thank Daniel for his hard work across the last two seasons with us," RB team principal Laurent Mekies said in a statement. "He has brought a lot of experience and talent to the team with a fantastic attitude, which has helped everyone to develop and foster a tight team spirit. Daniel has been a true gentleman both on and off the track and never without that smile. He will be missed, but will always hold a special place within the Red Bull family."

Ricciardo seemed to see the writing on the wall this past weekend after finishing 18th at the Singapore Grand Prix.

"Possibly, I have to acknowledge that," he told reporters when asked if Singapore could be his last race. "It's been a little bit of a race-by-race situation and I would have obviously loved the weekend to have gone better. It didn't, so I have to prepared for this maybe being it."

He continued:

I do feel, let's say, at peace with it. At some point, it'll come for all of us... I think also, I tried to get back into Red Bull, it didn't work out, so then I also have to say, 'Okay, what else am I ultimately doing here and trying to achieve?' ... Let's say maybe the fairytale ending didn't happen, but I also have to look back on what it's been. Fourteen or so years and I'm proud.

I think when you've experienced the highs of winning, you can only fight for P10 for so long. There is nothing like that feeling, and if that no longer is possible, and if it is becoming a little harder—that's the truth: I was able to do some moments of maybe greatness this year, but it was trickier to do it week in, week out. Maybe that's [being] 35, maybe that's the competition's getting better and better. Who knows?

Ricciardo, now 14th in the driver's standings, tallied eight wins, 32 podiums and 1,329 points in total across 258 Grands Prix and 14 seasons during his time in F1. He finished third in the driver's standings in both 2014 and 2016, his best campaigns.

As for Lawson, the 22-year-old has been a reserve since 2022, though he did replace the injured Ricciardo for five races last year and acquitted himself well, including a ninth-place finish at the Singapore Grand Prix.

Red Bull will now have the chance to further evaluate him alongside Yuki Tsunoda, who currently sits 12th in the driver's standings.

"He already knows the team well," Mekies said of Lawson in his statement. "He drove for us last season, and coped well under difficult circumstances, so it'll be a natural transition. It's great to see young talent from within the Red Bull family make the next step. We're looking forward to getting our heads down and focusing on the rest of the season together."

Lando Norris continued to trim the gap on Formula One points leader and reigning champion Max Verstappen with a win in Sunday's Singapore Grand Prix.

Fifty-two points now separate Norris from Verstappen. The Dutch star's second-place finish helped to limit the damage in terms of losing ground on his top challenger.

Oscar Piastri claimed the other podium spot in third.

At least when it came to the top of the race leaderboard, there was little drama to be had at Marina Bay Street Circuit. Norris started from the pole and held firm over the first few laps. It didn't take long for him to show he had the fastest car on the track.

When the dust cleared at the finish line, Norris was more than 20 seconds ahead of Verstappen. It was a role reversal from 2023 when Verstappen was the one winning at a canter.

It was a different story for Norris' compatriot Lewis Hamilton.

The seven-time F1 champion was frozen out of the podium for the third straight race, winding up in sixth. That was two spots behind Mercedes teammate George Russell, a point some fans couldn't ignore with Hamilton himself calling out the team's strategy midway through.

Six races remain in Hamilton's farewell campaign with Mercedes and Norris' quest to overtake Verstappen. In both cases, it's looking increasingly like they're wind up disappointed in the end.

For Norris, the challenge is not just finishing ahead of Verstappen but creating enough distance to where he starts to meaningfully eat into their difference in the driver standings. As much as Verstappen is failing to hit the heights he did last year, he's remaining relatively consistent from race to race, which is stymying Norris' comeback bid.

Verstappen and the Red Bull team have nearly a month off before the United States Grand Prix on Oct. 20 to figure out how to return to the top of the podium.

Oscar Piastri might be overshadowed by McLaren teammate Lando Norris in the bigger picture, but the spotlight was all his Sunday in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Piastri held off Charles Leclerc to win his second race of the 2024 Formula One season. George Russell rounded out the podium in third place.

Leclerc and Piastri started from the first and second positions, and that's the order they stayed in for the first 19 laps. On Lap 20, Piastri made his move for the lead and deftly passed on the inside.

Between overtaking Leclerc and subsequently holding firm at the top of the field, the Australian made a strong impression in Azerbaijan. Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid was among those who labeled him an F1 champion in the making:

Piastri coasted to the finish line after a wreck involving Carlos Sainz and Sergio Pérez brought out the virtual safety car. The pair were battling for third on the penultimate lap when they made contact and hit the wall.

The most consequential drama from the weekend unfolded in qualifying, when Norris didn't make it through the first round and was relegated to starting from the 16th position. He was originally going to start from 17th before Esteban Ocon was disqualified.

Norris trailed Max Verstappen by 62 points in the driver standings heading into Sunday's race, so his bid to dethrone the reigning champion suffered a serious setback thanks to his performance in qualifying.

A fourth-place showing was a missed opportunity considering Verstappen wound up in fifth.

Like Ocon, Lewis Hamilton had to begin the Azerbaijan Grand Prix from pit lane, so any quest for the checkered flag was over before it started. He finished in ninth and was a non-factor for the most part.

Seven races are left in the F1 season with the Singapore Grand Prix now on tap. Verstappen has never won at Marina Bay Street Circuit, which will offer Norris and his fans a glimmer of hope the 24-year-old can trim the gap in the standings.

Charles Leclerc took the checkered flag in the Italian Grand Prix at Autodromo Nazionale di Monza on Sunday as Lando Norris continued to close the gap on Max Verstappen in the Formula One drivers' standings.

This is Leclerc's second victory of 2024 after he cruised to a win in the Monaco Grand Prix. He finished more than three seconds ahead of Oscar Piastri. Norris, who started from the pole, rounded out the podium in third place.

The excitement started early as Norris went from first to third on the first lap. Piastri overtook him for the lead and then Leclerc came up from behind to move into second.

Piastri and Norris decided to pit on the 17th lap, which opened the door for Carlos Sainz and Red Bull Racing teammates Verstappen and Sergio Pérez to fill out the top of the leaderboard.

A pit stop beckoned for those three as well sooner or later, though, and that bumped them down a few spots once they returned to the track.

Leclerc watched Piastri and Norris make a second trip to the pit and gambled he and his Ferrari team would only need one stop for the 53-lap affair.

The gambit paid off as the Monaco native built a sizable gap on the rest of the field. Piastri and Norris chipped away at the deficit down the final stretch but couldn't make up the ground.

Norris can at least take some solace from the fact he trimmed eight points from the difference between and Verstappen in the overall standings. The reigning champion is now 62 points up in first place.

For Norris and his McLaren team, though, there might be more disappointment they failed to take fuller advantage of Verstappen's sixth-place showing.

Elsewhere in the race, Lewis Hamilton missed the podium for the second straight week after placing fifth.

Eight races remain in Norris' quest to dethrone Verstappen with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sept. 15 the next event on the F1 calendar. The possibility remains for the 24-year-old to do the impossible, though his odds only improved slightly thanks to Sunday's results.