Sebastian Vettel's retirement announcement ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix has been the biggest talking point on the grid, with the German's departure set to leave a significant void for Aston Martin to fill.
The four-time world champion played an integral part in Red Bull's rise to become an F1 powerhouse, winning back-to-back championships between 2010 and 2013.
Vettel's championships make him an F1 great, with only Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton (both seven) and Juan Manuel Fangio (five) winning more world titles.
In terms of race wins, Vettel is again near the summit with 53 victories, only behind Hamilton (103) and Schumacher (91), while he is one of only five drivers to secure at least 100 podium finishes – alongside Hamilton, Schumacher, Alain Prost and Kimi Raikkonen.
Those regular appearances in the front three have also given him an honour that only Hamilton can equal, with the pair being the only drivers in F1 history to have secured over 3,000 career points – with Vettel having 3,076 ahead of Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix.
Singapore has been Vettel's favoured venue, with five victories and 195 points, and the Far East has been where Vettel has excelled in qualifying – securing pole position on eight occasions in both Singapore and Japan.
Throughout the course of his career, Vettel has raced for five different teams – starting with Sauber, where he scored points in his only outing for the team and then signed for Toro Rosso – securing his first pole and victory in August 2007 in Italy.
After 25 races with the Italian team, Vettel moved to Red Bull, for whom he appeared in 113 races, with only Mark Webber (129) and Max Verstappen (130 so far) featuring more for the Austrian outfit.
Vettel also boasts the most wins (38), the most pole positions (44) and the most fastest laps (24) for Red Bull.
In 2011, Vettel was on pole position for 15 of 19 races, an F1 record, and he won 13 races in 2013 – a joint-record alongside Schumacher.
Vettel's era of dominance came to an end at the start of F1's hybrid era, finishing fifth in the standings in 2014 with just four podiums from 19 races, and he subsequently joined Ferrari for the 2015 season.
The German continued to struggle, with just three wins and one pole position in his first year with the Italian side – although those wins were the most registered in a single season for Ferrari since Fernando Alonso in 2012 (also three).
Overall, Vettel raced 118 times for Ferrari and amassed 14 race wins, 55 podiums, 12 pole positions and 1,400 points.
Should all go to plan, Vettel's final fling in his F1 career will come in Abu Dhabi, the season finale and his 300th career race.
So far for Aston Martin, he has a single podium, in Azerbaijan in 2021, and has earned 58 points from 32 races.
Mercedes' luck turns in Las Vegas one-two
George Russell was relieved to see Mercedes' luck turn as the Silver Arrows clinched a stunning one-two at the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Saturday.
Russell held off challenges from Ferrari drivers Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, as well as team-mate Lewis Hamilton, to triumph from pole in Sin City.
He led for 49 of the 50 laps as he sealed his third victory in F1. Only at Sao Paulo in 2022 (66) and Sakhir in 2020 (59) has he led for more laps at a single grand prix.
Russell started at the front of the grid for the third time in 2024, having previously failed to convert poles in Canada and at Silverstone into victories.
Mercedes endured a difficult outing at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix last time out as Russell finished fourth and Hamilton 10th, and they were delighted to rediscover their consistency in Nevada.
"It's going to be a good party, I was planning on flying in a couple of hours but I'm definitely not getting on that flight. I’m going to enjoy this evening with all my team," Russell said.
"It's been a dream of a weekend. I don’t know how we've been so quick but I'm just riding this wave right now.
"To get the victory here, pole position and a dominant weekend, one-two with Lewis as well, we couldn't have chosen a better place to make this happen.
"I was just waiting for something to happen. The two races I've been on pole before it’s always been chaos, rain, dry, always something happening, last race in Brazil with the red flag... there is always something happening. Luck has turned and I'm so happy right now."
Hamilton, meanwhile, took the opportunity to congratulate his great rival Max Verstappen after the Red Bull driver sealed his fourth world championship by finishing ahead of Lando Norris.
"Firstly, congrats to Max winning the championship, still with several races to go," the seven-time world champion, who will join Ferrari for 2025, said.
"If I'd done my job yesterday it would have been a breeze today. But it's okay, I had fun coming from 10th and the team did a fantastic job.
"We don't know why we were quick this weekend but that's the best the car has ever felt. So I'm grateful to be a part of getting to that point.
"If the car drives like that in the next couple of races, then I think we'll be in a good spot to challenge the guys up front. The championship's done, so now it’s just all out, fight for the best positions possible."
Verstappen 'hungry' for more success after securing fourth world championship
Max Verstappen has said that he is hungry for more success after claiming his fourth consecutive Formula One world title at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
The Red Bull driver claimed the title by finishing fifth, ahead of championship rival Lando Norris, in the race which was won by George Russell of Mercedes.
Verstappen is now behind only Lewis Hamilton (seven), Michael Schumacher (seven) and Juan Manuel Fangio (five) in terms of world titles won, and the Dutchman has said he will aim for a fifth title in 2025.
"If you look to next year right now, I think it's going to be a proper battle between a lot of cars, but I'm hungry," said Verstappen, who secured the title with two races to spare.
Verstappen seals fourth straight Formula One world title
Max Verstappen secured his fourth straight Formula One world title with a fifth-place finish at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, which was won by George Russell.
Verstappen merely needed to finish ahead of his sole title rival Lando Norris in order to get over the line in the Driver's Championship on Saturday.
And as Russell won from pole after fending off a challenge from the Ferraris and his Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton, Verstappen ensured the crown as he finished fifth, one place ahead of McLaren's Norris, who is now 63 points behind the Dutchman with only 60 points left to race for.
The Red Bull star is now behind only Hamilton (seven), Michael Schumacher (seven) and Juan Manuel Fangio (five) when it comes to world titles.
Mercedes will celebrate an unexpected one-two, and Russell was largely in control throughout the race as he scooped a third win of his career.
He shrugged off an early effort from Charles Leclerc, who darted beyond Pierre Gasly and Carlos Sainz around the first two corners.
But as the Ferraris of Leclerc and Sainz battled between themselves, and with Verstappen unwilling to take too many risks, Hamilton charged up through the grid, utilising a well-timed second pit stop to get ahead.
After pitting, Sainz and Leclerc got themselves back ahead of Verstappen in the final 10 laps, ensuring Ferrari closed the gap on McLaren in the Constructors' Championship to just 24 points.
There was some late joy for McLaren as Norris stopped for fresh tyres in order to set the fastest lap, and an extra point in a constructors' title race that is firmly in the balance with two races to go.
Data Debrief: Four in a row
Verstappen is just the fifth driver in F1 history to win four consecutive world titles.
The last to do so was Hamilton between 2017 and 2020, a run that was ultimately ended by Verstappen in 2021.
Sebastian Vettel (2010-13) and Fangio (1954-57) are the other drivers to have reeled off four straight championship wins, while Schumacher won five on the spin between 2000 and 2004.
Verstappen has now moved onto 2,989.5 points over the course of his career, meaning his next target is to break the 3,000-point barrier, something only Hamilton and Vettel have previously achieved.
Red Bull's chances in the Constructors' Championship seem slim, but if they can set a fastest lap in the final two races of the season, they will become the fifth team to hit the 100 mark, after Ferrari (263), McLaren (171), Williams (133) and Mercedes (109).
Top 10
1. George Russell (Mercedes)
2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
3. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
5. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
6. Lando Norris (McLaren)
7. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
8. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)
9. Yuki Tsunoda (RB)
10. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Drivers'
1. Max Verstappen - 403
2. Lando Norris - 340
3. Charles Leclerc - 319
Constructors'
1. McLaren - 608
2. Ferrari - 584
3. Red Bull - 555
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