What’s left to race for at F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix after champion decided?

Formula One arrives on the Strip this week with the drama of the title fights already settled. Kimi Antonelli clinched the drivers' championship last month following a dominant season, and Mercedes secured the constructors' title on Nov. 8 in Brazil, leaving 21 drivers racing for pride and positioning in Saturday's 50-lap Grand Prix.

The primary storyline is a crowded battle for the runner-up spot. Five drivers are separated by just 33 points with three races remaining: Max Verstappen sits second with 279 points, followed closely by George Russell (262), Lewis Hamilton (261), Charles Leclerc (249), and Lando Norris (246).

Verstappen, the defending Las Vegas winner with two victories on the 3.853-mile circuit, enters on a streak of eight straight podium finishes. However, he cautioned that the cold temperatures and unique energy management demands of the long straights make the track difficult to predict. "It's normally not our best track because of that, but we'll see if we can get the tires to work," Verstappen said.

Norris, who finished second here last year before a disqualification for excessive skid plank wear, seeks to salvage a difficult title defense season with a strong result. "There's always pressure every time I put my helmet on because I need to do well," Norris said. "I feel the same this year as I felt last year."

Track action begins Thursday night with practice sessions at 4:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., setting the stage for the Grand Prix at 8 p.m. Saturday.

Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal