The Weekend Got Off To A Rocky Start, But The Las Vegas Grand Prix Delivered The Goods (Yes, Max Verstappen Still Won)

There's been a lot of build-up and controversy surrounding Formula 1's first return to Sin City in nearly 40 years, but all that mattered for most fans was whether or not the Grand Prix itself would deliver the goods.

Well, now we have an answer: It was one of the best races of the season. Even if it took a healthy bit of coffee for a lot of us to get through it.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc started on pole and should've had his teammate Carlos Sainz alongside him if it weren't for a very controversial grid 10-place grid drop. So, instead, he got Red Bull's Max Verstappen for company on the front row of a somewhat mixed-up grid that had Mercedes' George Russell and Alpine's Pierre Gasly in P3 and P4, followed by an all-Williams row three of Alex Albon and American rookie Logan Sargeant.

The first couple of corners were going to be crucial for Leclerc and he needed to stay ahead through them and build a gap on Verstappen if he wanted any chance of winning.

He did not do that.

Verstappen Wins What Was Far From The Easiest Race Of The Season

Verstappen took the lead at the first corner after going a little deep and taking himself and Leclerc slightly into the run-off area while several cars had spins behind them.

It was a controversial move and eventually led to a 5-second penalty for the World Champion.

That whole situation at the first corner led to a virtual safety car for some new front wings. Once that was over it was only about another lap before McLaren's Lando Norris had a nasty crash that brought out a full safety car.

In a race where strategy was already a question mark, I'm sure all the strategists were loving that.

The Las Vegas Grand Prix circuit turned out to be one in which overtaking was very doable. That allowed for moves up and down the order and even several for the lead. The most exciting came on the final lap when Leclerc overtook Perez to steal P2 from him

Verstappen took the top step of the podium followed by Leclerc with Perez in P3.

It was Vertappen's 18th win of the season and Red Bull's record-setting 20th.

Red Bull's Sergio Perez set-up may have been a little off, but he drove a fantastic race. (Photo by Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

It Was A Strong Las Vegas Grand Prix For Perez, But A Small Set-Up Decision Was A Problem

Sergio Perez had one of the strongest races of the season, and that's after he damaged his front wing at the opening corner.

I'm not sure what it is about Sergio, but some of his best drives involve a first-lap incident that drops him to the back. 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix, anyone?

The virtual safety car and safety cars that followed played into his hands nicely and he took advantage of it.

Ultimately, Perez's shortcoming seemed to come from a higher-downforce set-up than those used by Verstappen and Leclerc, and that cost him on parts of the high-speed Vegas circuit, especially the blast down the strip to turn 14, which is where he ultimately lost P2 to Leclerc on the final lap (the second straight race he lost out on a position on the final lap).

That's not on him, and it's not on anyone. This was a brand-new track with a lot of variables at play so the proper set-up was anyone's guess. As it turns out, stripping away some downforce was the way to go, and Perez's side of the garage just got it a bit wrong.

Nonetheless, he was stellar, and that drive should help his case for keeping that highly sought-after seat with Red Bull after he clinched P2 in the driver standings.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc's pole curse is still alive, but he pulled off the move of the race to take P2. (Photo by Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Leclerc Did What He Could Without A Teammate Helping Him

Poor Charles Leclerc just can't win from pole. Saturday night's/Sunday morning's race was the 12th straight time he has failed to win despite starting at the front of the grid. However, he drove a heck of a race in his own right.

Leclerc lost the lead on the opening corner thanks to a questionable move from Verstappen that bought the Dutchman a 5-second penalty. Still, Leclerc managed to hang onto the back of the Red Bull and eventually retook the lead.

Ferrari may have slightly messed up the strategy (what else is new?) by putting Leclerc on a one-stop strategy, but they were limited without Carlos Sainz upfront with him. That could have played a role in forcing one of the Red Bulls into a less desirable strategy.

Fortunately for Leclerc, despite a one-stopper not quite being the way to go, Leclerc's tires still had enough life to off the move of the race on the final lap.

Ferrari is now just 4 points behind Mercedes for P2 in the constructors' standings heading into the final race in Abu Dhabi. Given how the weekend started, I think the Scuderia will be happy with that.

The Las Vegas Grand Prix Delivered Even If Some Still Won't Be Too Happy

Perhaps those who were actually at the circuit will have a different take, but the Las Vegas Grand Prix itself was a fantastic watch, well worth staying up until an ungodly hour here on the East Coast (although I'll be playing hurt this NFL Sunday).

The Las Vegas Grand Prix was marketed around the spectacle of the event, but fortunately, the best spectacle of all was the on-track action. That's exactly what F1 needed to help wash some of the bad tastes out of people's mouths.

Now, that isn't to say there won't still be unhappy customers. There still are.

But hey, you can't please everyone.

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