Max Verstappen asks to go 'straight to the nightclub' after Las Vegas GP win

19 November 2023 , 08:24

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Max Verstappen was in jovial mood after winning in Las Vegas (Image: Sky Sports)

Max Verstappen asked to be taken "straight to the nightclub" as he joked with Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez after beating them to victory in Las Vegas.

Verstappen overcame a penalty and some tyre issues to get the better of his rivals towards the end of the race. And Leclerc flew past Perez on the last lap to deny Red Bull a one-two finish at the end of an entertaining Grand Prix.

There was no cool down room for the top three drivers to wait in, as is usually the case. Instead, the TV cameras were inside a car as they were ferried to the Bellagio hotel for their post-race interviews.

And most of the conversation was about the racing as they chatting while in the back of the car. But they did all crack a smile when they joked about skipping their media obligations to enjoy the Las Vegas Strip after driving along it all night.

"Where are we going? To the club?" asked Leclerc, which provoked a giggle from Verstappen who responded: "Straight to the nightclub!" He then added: "See you tomorrow, everyone... or not!" prompting another laugh from Leclerc and Perez.

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Verstappen's 53rd career win was confirmed when he took the chequered flag close to midnight in Las Vegas. Pop star Justin Bieber was waving the flag and Verstappen might have been better off leaving the Canadian to do the singing as he burst into song inside his car.

Red Bull were playing the Elvis Presley hit 'Viva Las Vegas' over the radio and Verstappen was happily singing along to it. Clearly, he felt much better about racing in Sin City after winning than he had earlier in the weekend when he was wholly critical of this event.

Verstappen donned an Elvis-inspired race suit for the race, though that was due to a commercial deal struck by Red Bull rather than a personal choice made by the Dutchman. Still, he left Leclerc all shook up by forcing him off the track at the first corner, a move which saw Verstappen slapped with a five-second time penalty.

But he went on to win anyway, the team helped by the timing of a safety car after the world champion was slammed into by George Russell. But there was no meaningful damage done and, in the final stages, he roared past both Leclerc and Perez to win.

Red Bull looked likely to secure a one-two finish, but it wasn't to be. On the final lap of the race, Leclerc caught Perez napping and flew past him to snatch second place and cap a fine performance from the Ferrari driver.

Daniel Moxon