LAS VEGAS — Max Verstappen clinched his fourth Formula 1 world championship under the bright lights of Sin City on Saturday evening, cementing his position among the sport’s legends.

The 27-year-old Red Bull driver only had to finish ahead of his only championship rival, McLaren’s Lando Norris, to eliminate him from contention and secure the trophy with two races and a ‘sprint’ remaining in the 2024 season. He finished 5th, while Norris finished 6th.

Verstappen becomes only the sixth driver in F1 history to capture four world championships, joining an elite club that includes Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Alain Prost and Juan Manuel Fangio.

“Oh my God, man. What a season,” Verstappen said while still in his car via the team radio. “Four times! Thanks… It was a little harder than last year, but we got through it. And we gave it everything.”

As actor and filmmaker Sylvester Stallone waved the checkered flag, Mercedes driver George Russell won the 50-lap race after qualifying on pole position, ahead of Mercedes teammate Hamilton in 2nd place and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz in 3rd.

“We have a lot of incredible young talent in the sport and Lando is certainly one of them. And of course he sometimes made it very difficult for me,” Verstappen said at a press conference after the race.

Norris congratulated Verstappen after the race and said he had made the most of his opportunities.

“That’s the strength of him,” Norris told reporters. “He has no negative points. When he had the fastest car, he dominated races. If he is not the fastest car, he is still right behind us and still almost wins the races… He just gets everything out of the car every time.”

International sport has brought a new level of glitz and glamor – and a title decider – to Las Vegas. Celebrities appeared in the paddock, with some attendees dropping tens of thousands of dollars for premium track tickets in hospitality suites.

“I love fast cars, I love racing and I love Las Vegas,” Paris Hilton, a McLaren and Norris fan, told NBC News on the grid shortly before the race started. “So it’s a perfect combination of fun.”

The track is best known for its 1.2-mile straight along the famous Las Vegas Boulevard, where cars reached a top speed of about 220 mph as they sped past the Venetian, the Bellagio and other casinos on the Strip. series of exciting catch-ups for the fans present.

Verstappen played it safe and took few risks, offering little defense as the two fast Ferraris of Sainz and Charles Leclerc challenged and eventually overtook him. None of the Ferrari or Mercedes drivers were mathematically in the title hunt.

Before the race, Norris told reporters that the title was virtually out of reach regardless of what happened in Vegas.

“It’s not going to change anything. There is a good chance that he will win the championship,” said Norris late on Friday after qualifying. “But I’m here to race and do my best in every race I can, whether Max finishes in front or not. That’s life.”

The Constructors’ Championship, which pays out F1’s lucrative prize money, is still up for grabs. McLaren leads the standings, ahead of Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes.

Red Bull won the Constructors’ Championship in 2022 and 2023, but is unlikely to repeat the feat this year, largely due to the continued problems and weaker performances of its second driver, Sergio Perez, who is coming off a winless season.

A new American team in F1?

The Las Vegas Grand Prix included three races in the United States – including Miami and Austin – in the 2024 season, more than any other country, a vote of confidence in the growing US market. It was the second race of the 10-year contract in Vegas.

Aside from the road closures and inconveniences for many locals, the race was a boon for Las Vegas. According to a report from Nevada’s Clark County, the economic impact of the race was nearly $1.5 billion. Visitor numbers last year were 316,000, the report said.

And US yields could soon get another boost.

Insiders expect Formula 1 to admit an eleventh team to the grid in 2026, likely called Cadillac F1, sources with knowledge told NBC News.

The expected move follows an earlier bid from Andretti and GM-backed Cadillac that was given the green light by the sport’s governing body, the FIA, but rejected by F1’s commercial side. The shift comes amid a commitment by Cadillac to build its own powerplant starting in 2028, and changes in the Andretti organization that have put investor Daniel Towriss (instead of Michael Andretti) at the helm of the bid. The news was first reported by the Associated Press.

A Formula 1 spokesperson declined to comment. The sport’s commercial owner, Liberty Media, is facing a Justice Department investigation for possible antitrust violations after rejecting Andretti’s earlier offer, the company told investors in August.

If approved, the decision would put a famous American team and car manufacturer at the pinnacle of motorsport. It would happen the same year that Red Bull partners with Ford to build its powerplant, setting off a clash of American car giants.

Verstappen’s victory was not a certainty

Despite all his successes, it has been a turbulent season for Verstappen, dealing with car problems, formidable rivals and seemingly non-stop drama surrounding him off the track.

After winning seven of the first ten races, Verstappen has only won one of the last twelve races. The early series of victories have been crucial in Verstappen’s quest for a fourth world championship.

It came after Verstappen had a record-breaking season in 2023, winning 19 of the 22 races during the season. The dominance of his Red Bull car continued into the early part of the 2024 season, but quickly waned as McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes improved their cars and challenged for victories.

Verstappen’s campaign was also helped by the fact that several rival teams overtook, if not surpassed, Red Bull around the same time. The season has seen a total of seven race winners: including the six drivers from McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes. In numerous instances where Verstappen struggled, others took points away from Norris and hindered his quest to challenge the Dutchman.