Verstappen Wins Eventful Las Vegas Grand Prix Despite Incident And Five-Second Penalty

Max Verstappen has recorded his 18th win of the 2023 season by winning the Las Vegas Grand Prix, but the win was far from straightforward.

Starting the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix from P2 on the grid, the race was never going to be straightforward for the Dutch driver, as Ferrari, and especially Charles Leclerc, seemed to be showing great pace at the Las Vegas Strip Circuit.

However, there was drama already on the opening lap, as Verstappen sent it down the inside to Turn 1, but he couldn't keep his Red Bull on the track, pushing Leclerc out of the track.

Later, the overtake was deemed not legal, as the Dutchman "pushed another driver off the track," prompting a five-second time penalty from the race director, which he served during his first pit stop.

Because of the penalty, the three-time World Champion has dropped down the order a little bit, and he had to fight Mercedes' George Russell for the fourth place.

But on Lap 25, the two drivers have collided, this time with the British driver being at fault, as he has later, like Verstappen, received a five-second time penalty for the collision, which left a lot of debris on the track.

As a result, the safety car had to be deployed, and Red Bull's Sergio Perez was the man who benefited the most, jumping up to the second place ahead of Leclerc, who has decided not to pit during the safety car.

Soon after the restart, the Mexican driver overtook Leclerc to lead the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix, but he couldn't keep the lead for too long, as the Monegasque driver responded in style to regain the lead.

But as the two drivers fought for the first place, Verstappen, in the meantime, raced past Pierre Gasly and Oscar Piastri, already chasing up the leading duo. At the start of Lap 38, the 26-year-old managed to overtake both, regaining the lead of the race.

Perez and Leclerc continued to fight for second place in the race, but with Leclerc's tires being a few laps older because of the decision not to pit during the safety car, the Monegasque driver made a mistake, which allowed the Red Bull driver to fly past him.

Perez wanted to secure the Red Bull's one-two, first since the 2023 Italian Grand Prix in September. However, a sensational last-lap move by Leclerc secured him the second spot on the podium, as Verstappen crossed the line first to win the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix.