As the drivers returned to the dazzling street circuit of Vegas, Girls Across the Grid brought the party back to Silverstone with our annual Silvegas celebration! With the party running late into Saturday night, you might wonder—were the 5 am alarms to gather and watch the race together on Sunday morning worth it? Absolutely!
From thrilling overtakes to the crowning of the 2024 Drivers' Champion, the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix certainly gave us plenty to talk about. Whether you were watching at home or joining over 100 GATG members watching together at Silverstone, the race kept us all on the edge of our seats! Let’s take a closer look at the biggest moments from the weekend.
A dominant weekend for Russell and the Silver Bullets
Other than for the briefest of moments on lap 5, George Russell's win never looked in doubt this weekend. Despite Russell admitting he spent the race "waiting for something to happen", likely still haunted by his last-lap crash in Singapore 2023, he kept his focus and brought his car home safely. Russell finished with a solid 7-second lead over teammate Lewis Hamilton, securing an impressive and controlled victory.
George Russell Celebrating his P1 finish under the lights (image formulaone.com)
Although Russell was the winning Mercedes driver, Hamilton also put down an incredible drive. Moving up from P10 to P2, to give us a Mercedes 1-2 this weekend.
Pit Lane Pandemonium!
Errors in the pits are a rarity in today’s precision-driven world of Formula 1, but the Las Vegas Grand Prix gave us not one but two curious pit stop moments. Esteban Ocon provided the weekend’s most bizarre scene as he arrived in the Alpine pits to find... no one there. Correctly following a call to come in if Hulkenburg didn't, Ocon came into the pit lane to see no one expecting him! This meant Ocon was forced to complete another lap before coming back in, costing him valuable time.
Ferrari, not to be outdone in pit drama, had a near-miss of their own. They hastily called Carlos Sainz into the pits, only to realise the team wasn’t ready. In a frantic moment, the call was cancelled just in time; luck was clearly on their side as they narrowly avoided both a similar embarrassment and a penalty for crossing back over the pit entry line. The incident, however, left Sainz frustrated, prompting him to message the team to "wake up!" Even in a sport defined by split-second decisions, it seems that even the sharpest teams can sometimes trip over their own wires.
Nice guys finish fourth?
Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc are often considered one of the closest driver pairings on the grid, with numerous media appearances portraying them as genuine friends. However, history has shown that equally matched teammates often spark anything from subtle tension to outright hostility—and the Ferrari duo seem no exception. This season, the pair have been nearly inseparable in terms of performance, repeatedly clashing wheel-to-wheel in intense on-track battles.
The Las Vegas Grand Prix, however, had a noticeably different tone. Leclerc’s radio messages painted a picture of growing frustration, hinting at a potential rift between the two. Tensions began to rise on lap 26 when a team order for Sainz to let Leclerc through went ignored. Later, despite a directive to avoid pressuring his teammate, Sainz used his fresher tyres to overtake Leclerc, leaving him off the podium and visibly unhappy.
A frustrated Leclerc promised he "will be thinking about myself only" going forward from Vegas (image www.f1oversteer.com)
Leclerc’s emotions boiled over in the aftermath. Forgetting to switch off his radio, he unleashed a raw outburst: “being nice f**ks me over all the f**king time, all the f**king time. It’s not even being nice, it’s just being respectful.” It was a rare glimpse of unfiltered frustration and a stark contrast to the camaraderie they’ve displayed publicly. Whether this was an isolated moment of anger or a glimpse behind an otherwise polished facade, it certainly raised eyebrows and gave fans insight into the Monegasque driver’s true feelings.
Difficult weekend for Norris and Gasly
For very different reasons, both Norris and Gasly will be leaving Vegas disappointed.
For Norris, it was the predictable yet still crushing end to his Drivers' Championship hopes. While his challenge was realistically over after Brazil, Verstappen’s P5 finish in Vegas extinguished any sliver of remaining hope. With Norris coming P6, the fight was officially over. However, Norris and McLaren can take immense pride in their progress this season. Their late-year duel with Verstappen has provided plenty of excitement as well as giving them the lead in the Constructors' championship. It's been a lot of fun to see these two duel it out towards the end of the year!
For Gasly, the disappointment stemmed from misfortune. After a podium in Brazil and a career-best Q3 qualifying result, hopes were high for a strong race. Instead, despite good reliability all year, his weekend was cut short by engine failure, leaving him with an early DNF. To make matters worse, Alpine’s poor weekend dropped them to seventh in the Constructors' standings, one point behind Haas.
Joining an elite group
For the second consecutive year, Verstappen clinched his Drivers' Championship on a Saturday - this time (thankfully) with less confusion than in 2023!
Verstappen now joins an elite group of drivers who have 4 or more World Drivers' Championships; Juan Manuel Fangio, Alain Prost, Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton. A group I'm sure he is happy to now be connected to!
Max Verstappen celebrating his fourth Drivers' Championship
Verstappen’s drive in Vegas was cool and calculated, with his P5 finish enough to secure the title. After the race, he described himself as “relieved” and wasted no time celebrating. As the evening went on, Verstappen appeared progressively tipsier during media appearances—a fitting end to a historic weekend for the Dutchman.
So, as the race comes to an end, so does another unforgettable Silvegas! While the race itself was thrilling, for many, the true magic of the weekend was in the shared experience of being together. There are so many friendships and memories made at Silvegas, and our lovely member Kelly-Marie sums it up perfectly: "This was my friend's first GATG event and weekend away, so getting to share GATG with her was one of my favourite parts of the weekend! I also loved watching the race with so many people, everyone cheering together—even if you weren’t a fan of that driver/team. I’ve met so many friends through GATG, so it meant a lot to watch the race and reconnect, especially since I’ve moved away and don’t get to see them as much."
It’s these moments—these friendships and memories—that truly make GATG and Silvegas so special! Will we see you at the next one?
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