George Russell celebrated his dominant victory at the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, calling it a “dream week” after securing pole position and leading a Mercedes 1-2 finish. His teammate, fellow Briton Lewis Hamilton, battled from 10th on the grid to claim second place.
A Strong but Inconsistent Season for Mercedes
Mercedes showcased exceptional pace throughout all sessions, thriving under the cool conditions of the night race that began at 10:00 PM local time.
“I don’t know why we were so fast,” Russell admitted, “but I’m just riding this wave right now. Vegas is such a crazy place, and driving here with all of this in the background… I can’t even describe it. To win here, take pole position, and dominate the weekend with Lewis finishing second—there’s no better place to achieve this.”
This marked Mercedes’ fourth victory of the season, a bright moment in a year that has been anything but consistent. The team is vying for fourth place in the constructors’ championship, a step back after finishing second in 2023 and third in 2022.
Russell is optimistic about building on this momentum for the penultimate race in Qatar: “I think we have a good chance in Qatar. Coming into this triple header, I had my sights set on Qatar so much that I considered using an older engine for Vegas to save the best one for the next race.”
Hamilton’s Recovery and Reflections
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton looked poised for pole position during qualifying but made a costly mistake in his final lap, starting the race from the fifth row. Despite this setback, Hamilton managed to overtake reigning champion Max Verstappen and close in on Russell in the final laps.
“If I had done my job properly yesterday, today would have been much easier,” Hamilton said. “The car felt incredible, and if it continues performing like this, we’ll be in a strong position for the last races. The championship is over, so now it’s all about pushing for the best possible results.”
Mercedes’ Competitive Edge
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff praised the team’s performance: “Today, we really beat everyone outright. At times, we were two seconds faster than the competition. Our car thrives in high-speed, cooler conditions with lower grip. That’s something we can take pride in, but when it gets hotter, that’s when we struggle.”
As the F1 season nears its conclusion, Mercedes aims to maintain its momentum and finish the year on a high note, starting with Qatar next weekend.
