We’re officially at the tail end of the Formula 1 season with the just-concluded Las Vegas Grand Prix. While the breezy Nevada desert cooled down the tarmac, it certainly didn’t for the championship contenders. Ah, whom are we kidding? We could tell yards away that the reigning world champion licked his stamp and sent it to the top of the leaderboard.

1. Some good came out of the strip. The first lap thankfully had no race-ending accidents, but all eyes were on Liam Lawson (RB) who stormed through the pack while taking Kevin Magnussen (Haas) by surprise. Little did both drivers know that, on Lap 38, Sergio Perez (Red Bull) came in with a sneak attack at the end of the strip.

While the Mexican driver scored P10, Lawson and Magnussen were out of the points unlike their respective teammates Yuki Tsunoda (RB) in P9 and Nico Hulkenberg (Haas) in P8.

2. Gasly and Albon ran out of luck. Unfortunately, two retirements occurred due to each powertrain giving off.

Pierre Gasly (Alpine) stunned the paddock, the crowd, and even himself for qualifying in P3, and it might be a chance for another podium. Unfortunately, on Lap 15, the Frenchman’s engine suddenly plumed smoke as he rushed to the pits.

Ten laps later, Alex Albon (Williams) dealt with his own power loss with a retirement, adding to the British team’s damage cost after his mate Franco Colapinto (Williams) punted the wall during Q2. However, the Argentine finished in P14 in the end.

3. The Prancing Horse was in disarray. Despite starting and finishing the weekend within the top five, Ferrari’s journey was paved with team orders and lack thereof. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) pushed to qualify in P3 and stayed there on the podium—but not without any frustration from his team.

On Lap 28, his pit crew wasn’t ready, prompting a last-minute decision to stay out and enter on the next. Meanwhile, the team ordered both drivers to maintain position with Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) in front, but the Spaniard thought otherwise and took the third podium spot.

4. The Silver Arrow mic check returned for the 60th time. Since the first free practice, Mercedes-AMG had shown signs of dominance, especially with George Russell (Mercedes) qualifying in P1. Despite sitting in P10, Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) slowly but surely gained positions while initially doubting the call to pit.

Ultimately, the gamble was worth it on the eve of Ferrari’s blunder and Red Bull’s lack of straight-line pace, and both drivers earned a 1-2 podium finish. The seven-time world champion was taken aback by how the W15 performed sublimely, but it was still a sight to behold.

5. Max secured his fourth F1 drivers’ championship win. Are we even surprised by this result? Granted, Red Bull’s week didn’t start right after its rear wing wasn’t seen to produce a low enough downforce to tackle the long Vegas Strip.

Nevertheless, Max Verstappen (Red Bull) grasped the predicament and carried on despite qualifying and finishing in P5. Despite struggling to reach the top step, he crossed the line ahead of his immediate championship rival Lando Norris (McLaren), automatically crowning him as the drivers’ champion four times in a row.

However, the constructors’ championship is still in contention as the season reaches the penultimate round at the Qatar Grand Prix on December 2 (12mn Philippine time). Will Red Bull be able to snag that crown from McLaren at last?