The Las Vegas Grand Prix was the clinching moment for Red Bull Racing star Max Verstappen in his championship battle with McLaren driver Lando Norris.
Lando Norris was well aware that the chips were stacked against him at the Las Vegas Grand Prix if he wanted to extend his title fight with Max Verstappen to Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
Verstappen had a 62-point lead over the McLaren driver heading into the race, meaning that Norris needed a victory and plenty of luck on his side to make any significant dent in his advantage.
Unfortunately, the Las Vegas street circuit appeared to be McLaren’s worst track since the game-changing upgrade they delivered in Miami.
Norris could only qualify in P6, with teammate Oscar Piastri starting on the row behind him.
Verstappen was alongside Norris on the grid and while it wasn’t one of his trademark fast starts, he held position and quickly drove off into the distance.
The tyres were difficult to manage and McLaren’s lack of top speed on the straights appeared to be the biggest issue for Andrea Stella’s team and it became clear long before the race ended that Verstappen would be crowned champion when the chequered flag flew.
Lando Norris and Max Verstappen share touching moment at the Las Vegas Grand Prix
Norris finished one position behind Verstappen but did clinch the fastest lap for McLaren which could prove pivotal in the Constructors’ Championship.
As Norris didn’t finish on the podium, he only saw Verstappen in the media pen and F1TV journalist Lawrence Barretto shared the moment they met on social media.
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He said: “Lovely moment in the pen when Norris came in to congratulate Verstappen. They had a hug and a little chat.”
Verstappen then spoke about that moment with Barretto and said: “It’s very nice that he came back into the pen to congratulate me and I think that’s how it should be.
“We’ve had a lot of moments together and of course, these things we discussed already, I told him your time will come one day, you have to be patient.”
Lando Norris fighting to be the best of the rest with Charles Leclerc after Max Verstappen clinches the championship
Norris still has plenty of play for this season even if he can no longer win his first title.
It was always going to be a difficult task, particularly as Verstappen started the season so well.
However, the fight is now on for McLaren to clinch their first Constructors’ Championship victory since 1998.
McLaren have a 24-point lead over Ferrari after both of their drivers finished ahead of Norris and Piastri.
READ MORE: McLaren driver Lando Norris’ life outside F1 from parents to celebration
On a personal level, Norris is still trying to secure his best finish in the driver’s standings in his six seasons in Formula 1.
Leclerc is 21 points behind the Brit and while Qatar may not suit Ferrari’s car, the battle is likely to go down to the wire in Abu Dhabi.
It’s a classy gesture from both Norris with his actions and Verstappen with his message of encouragement to his rival after a gruelling campaign.
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