The Las Vegas Grand Prix is finally coming to fruition after nearly four decades of planning, so Formula 1 plans to go all out to make this race a fun one, even if the championship is already wrapped up.
With Max Verstappen finished completing his three-peat, race fans will have their full focus on the other important battles, such as the duel for second place in both the drivers and constructors’ standings.
Sergio Perez is in pole position for P2 in the drivers’ standings, but he’ll face heavy resistance from his Mercedes counterparts in particular, who are P2 in the constructors’ standings.
Follow all the build-up ahead of this weekend as SBOTOP brings to you the latest Las Vegas Grand Prix 2023 updates.
Checo can wrap up season P2 in Vegas
Despite finishing P4 in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, second place is looking more secure for Sergio Perez following a lacklustre outing by his nearest rival, Lewis Hamilton, who finished P8.
A total of 32 points separate Checo (258 points) and Hamilton (226 points), but there’s 52 more up for grabs at the Strip this weekend and in the Abu Dhabi finale that follows.
Perez is arguably under more pressure to perform because he has a better car to work with than Hamilton.
It can be noted that during Perez’s slump earlier this season, there were rumours that the Red Bull brass considered replacing him with Daniel Ricciardo, who eventually took a seat at AlphaTauri.
While those murmurs were put to rest, at least for now, Perez will continue to look over his shoulder in these last two races, and it’s perhaps the harsh reality of being Max Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate.
The expectation is that Christian Horner’s boys will finish one-two in the drivers’ standings when it’s all said and done. But Perez hasn’t won since the Azerbaijan Grand Prix last April, so what better time to finally end his drought than in Sin City this Sunday?
Leclerc and Hamilton aim to end the season with a bang
Leclerc has been snake-bitten in these last few races, and it’s been that kind of year for him.
The Ferrari star managed to take pole positions in the US and Mexico Grand Prixs, but all he could muster was a DQ in the former and a P3 finish in the latter. And in Sao Paulo, he was cut into a despondent figure yet again due to mechanical failure on the formation lap.
As for Hamilton, Mercedes just can’t seem to find the winning formula all year long. During the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, where he moved up to third place early after a great start from P5, the W14 lost its pace as the race went on, much to the dismay of their boss, Toto Wolff.
Lewis Hamilton has yet to win a race since the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, while Leclerc’s last triumph was in the 2022 Austrian Grand Prix, and both drivers obviously don’t want to finish 2023 without a single race win.
History
This is not actually the first time that a Grand Prix has been held in Las Vegas. In 1981–1982, the FIA had two races staged on a track built in the parking lot of the Caesars Palace hotel, but they failed miserably.
Given that the league has built a significant following over the past few years in the United States (Texas and Miami), the FIA decided to give Las Vegas another try. After years of meticulous planning, the inaugural race on the Strip is expected to generate £1–1.3 billion, according to experts.
The Las Vegas Grand Prix feels similar to the Singapore Grand Prix, where the race is situated in the centre of a major city. Formula 1 has a three-year contract with Las Vegas, and if held successfully, we won’t be surprised if both sides come to a much longer agreement.
What are the odds?
So, who will have the upper hand in Sin City? Well, the Las Vegas Grand Prix 2023 odds make a good reading for Max Verstappen, as expected.
In the qualifying session, Verstappen is priced at 1.60 compared to 2.28 against any other driver. And as far as Sunday’s race is concerned, the Dutchman is pegged at 1.40 compared to 2.72 against any other driver.
As for who joins Verstappen on the podium, fellow Sao Paulo Grand Prix podium winners Lando Norris and Fernando Alonso are priced at 2.20 and 2.47, respectively, while Sergio Perez, Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz Jr., and Lewis Hamilton are installed at 1.55, 1.75, 1.91, and 2.07.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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