Charles Leclerc elected driver of the day in Las Vegas
Second in Nevada, the Ferrari driver was brilliant as he snatched second place from Sergio Pérez on the final lap.
Starting from pole position, Charles Leclerc was quickly overtaken by Max Verstappen, a move that would see the Dutchman penalized by five seconds. A few laps later, with a daring attack at the end of the straight, the Monegasque passed the Red Bull to regain control of the race.
Behind, taking advantage of his early pit stop and various race incidents, Sergio Pérez found himself in the lead and a battle began with Leclerc. Always keeping up with the pace of the Mexican’s Red Bull, the 26-year-old driver didn’t give up and it became clear that he would be fighting for victory until the end of the race.
Verstappen climbed back up into the wake of the number 16 Ferrari after his penalty, while Leclerc took advantage of excellent tire management to maintain his pace against the three-time world champion. A few laps from the finish, despite a very late braking, Leclerc had to give way, first to Verstappen and then to Pérez, after an error from the Scuderia driver.
Many expected to see this Las Vegas Grand Prix end with a Red Bull one-two finish. However, once again with an incredible wheel-locking-free braking in the last lap, still on the Strip, Leclerc regained the upper hand over the Mexican.
Leclerc overtook a Red Bull three times during this race. Thanks to his second place, he solidifies his 7th position in the drivers’ championship and closes the gap to seven points from the 6th place held by Lando Norris.
