Verstappen 'still has an opportunity' in the flooded Vegas.

      "Formula 1 officials are not concerned at this point."

      Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali asserts that Max Verstappen is still a legitimate contender for the championship, even as the Dutch driver arrives in Las Vegas facing the possibility of a mathematical elimination. Unseasonal storms impacted the city on Wednesday, with the National Weather Service reporting approximately 20mm of rain across the region and up to 10mm falling in certain areas within just half an hour. Floodwaters temporarily covered parts of the Strip and the circuit infrastructure. According to Bild, officials are optimistic that the situation will normalize. "Formula 1 officials are not worried at this time," the German outlet reported from the site, noting that Domenicali and his team anticipate Saturday's night race at 8 pm to proceed "as planned" and to remain a highlight with cars "racing through the sea of lights."

      Despite Verstappen lagging behind both McLaren drivers and facing the risk of losing title eligibility this weekend, Domenicali stated to De Telegraaf that the championship battle is not concluded. "If the history of this sport has demonstrated anything, it’s that anything can happen," he remarked. "I firmly believe Max still has a chance to win the world title. I conveyed this to him after the race in Brazil."

      The Italian referenced 2007, when he was Ferrari's sporting director, as an example. "We were significantly behind with Kimi Raikkonen compared to Lewis Hamilton with two races remaining. In China, remember when Lewis went off in the pitlane? No one thought that could occur, and ultimately Kimi became the champion by a single point."

      He believes similarly "unexpected events" could still transpire this season, especially on a street circuit like Las Vegas. Another advantage for Verstappen is McLaren’s lackluster performance at last year’s Vegas race. Team principal Andrea Stella mentioned that lessons had been absorbed from that experience. "Analyzing last year’s performance provided us with a wealth of information," he stated. "Regarding tyres, aerodynamic efficiency, and setup, we now comprehend the direction we must pursue. Will this be sufficient to stay competitive? We will only find out on the track, but we have certainly implemented decisive changes—last year was clearly inadequate."