Max Verstappen, champion driver for Red Bull, defied a five-second penalty to clinch victory at the inaugural Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix on Sunday.

Despite earlier criticism of the Strip event, Verstappen appeared to have reconciled with the circuit, marking his 18th triumph of the season by serenading his team over the radio with Elvis Presley’s “Viva Las Vegas.”

Reflecting on the weekend, he expressed his enjoyment, stating it was “a lot of fun down there” and voiced his anticipation of returning next year.

Charles Leclerc of Ferrari secured second place by overtaking Sergio Perez from the other Red Bull in the final stretch of the race.

“I genuinely enjoyed it a lot. Coming in second is disappointing, but it’s the best we could achieve. Overall, we were strong, but luck wasn’t entirely on our side, especially with the safety car,” commented the Ferrari driver.

Verstappen initially claimed the lead from pole-sitter Leclerc at the race’s outset but received a penalty for forcing Leclerc off the track.

“We both braked late, and I ran out of grip, causing me to go wide, which led to the stewards penalizing me,” Verstappen explained.

Leclerc attempted to settle the score on the track, successfully overtaking Verstappen in Lap 17. Verstappen swiftly pitted for new tires and to serve his penalty.

Emerging in 11th place, the Red Bull driver steadily ascended through the grid. However, a collision with Russell in a tussle for fourth triggered a safety car deployment in Lap 25, scattering debris on the track.

Upon the restart, Verstappen swiftly surpassed Perez and then Leclerc, ultimately securing his 53rd career win.

The race saw an early safety car phase after Lando Norris of McLaren lost control in Lap 4, careening along the straight before Turn 11 and finally colliding with the barriers in the runoff area.

F1 reported Norris’s transfer to the circuit’s medical center and subsequently to the University Medical Center for further precautionary evaluations.

Post-pit stop and penalty, Leclerc also obtained fresh tires, returning to the track in third behind Perez.

During the second safety car phase, the Red Bull drivers pitted again for new tires, while Leclerc maintained his position in the lead. The lead alternated between Leclerc and Perez until Verstappen secured the top spot in Lap 38.

Behind Verstappen, Perez and Leclerc fiercely battled for second place, with Leclerc ultimately passing Perez at Turn 14 in the final lap.

“I managed to overtake Charles, but I couldn’t break away due to carrying too much front wing, affecting my straight-line speed,” remarked Perez.

Nevertheless, Perez extended his lead over Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton to 41 points in their duel for second place in the constructors’ championship, with Hamilton finishing seventh after a challenging race.

Esteban Ocon of Alpine claimed fourth, followed by Lance Stroll of Aston Martin and Carlos Sainz in the second Ferrari. George Russell in the other Mercedes, Fernando Alonso in the second Aston Martin, and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri completed the top 10.

Verstappen had previously criticized the Vegas race, citing issues during the practice sessions, calling it “99% show, and 1% sport,” and suggesting the event catered mostly to a party-focused audience.

However, the Las Vegas GP turned out to be one of the most thrilling races in a season dominated by Verstappen and Red Bull, both having secured their respective world titles.

The next stop for F1 is Abu Dhabi on November 26 for the season’s final race, promising a showdown between Mercedes and Ferrari for second place in the constructors’ championship.

Mercedes currently leads, holding a slim four-point advantage over the Italian team.