Watch: Max Verstappen left shocked when Kimi Antonelli told him he finished P5 in the F1 Las Vegas GP
Max Verstappen was left surprised when Kimi Antonelli seemingly told him that he finished fifth at the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Saturday. The pair met up in parc ferme after the race ended and shared a handshake, congratulating each other.
Max Verstappen claimed his sixth victory of the 2025 season after a dominant display on the streets of Las Vegas on Saturday night. The Dutchman took the lead of the race from Lando Norris on the first corner of the first lap and led all 50 laps after that.
After the race, Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli came up to congratulate Verstappen on the win as the latter also inquired about his junior’s finishing position. Verstappen then looked shocked upon seemingly being told that he finished 5th, after having started from P17. This moment was caught on the live broadcast and later shared by a fanpage on X.
As previously mentioned, Kimi Antonelli started the Las Vegas GP from P17 and even had a poor jump off the line. Mercedes then pitted the teenager on Lap 3 under the Virtual Safety Car, giving him a strong alternative strategy amid a five-second time penalty for jumping the race start.
Antonelli made it count by running the remaining 47 laps on the same hard tires and crossed the line in P4 as those ahead stopped later in the race. He was ultimately classified P5 after the penalty but showed excellent pace in the closing stages to build enough of a cushion over Charles Leclerc in sixth.
A finish as high as fifth was not looking to be on the cards for Antonelli at the start and even less likely after his time penalty. So it does not come as a surprise that Max Verstappen was left shocked upon hearing that the youngster still somehow managed to finish in the top 5.
Max Verstappen reflects on his race win at the Las Vegas GP
Max Verstappen celebrates after winning the Las Vegas Grand Prix – Source: Getty
Max Verstappen explained that things seemed to work out well for him during the Las Vegas GP as he was able to have things under control throughout the 50 laps. He ended up finishing around 20 seconds ahead of P2 thanks to Lando Norris struggling with fuel-saving issues in the final two laps.
Speaking in the post-race interview, Verstappen explained how things panned out for him during the race on Saturday.
“It worked really well. Normally the race is a a tough one for us, we are normally not that great on tires. But today it seemed like we had a bit more under control and I pushed a little but more,” said Verstappen.
“Just unlocked a bit more pace, could stay out longer and split the race basically in half and that definitely helped a lot. The car was working pretty well, much more to my liking,” he added.
Max Verstappen has closed the gap to the championship leader, Lando Norris, by another 7 points with his win in Sin City. However, the Briton still holds a 42 point lead, leaving the reigning world champion with a tough task and only two rounds remaining.
In fact, Norris has actually widened the gap at the top relative to his teammate, as Oscar Piastri finished fourth in Vegas. The 26-year-old now leads Piastri by 30 points.
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Edited by Tushhita Barua
