Minardi: We're in for a fantastic end to the season.

      In a column on his official website, former team owner Giancarlo Minardi summed up the Las Vegas Grand Prix…

      Giancarlo Minardi: "The plot twist in Las Vegas was worthy of the best thrillers, if not horror films for Norris and Piastri — with McLaren's double disqualification after the race for plank wear. Now the title fight involves not only them but also Max Verstappen, who became the main protagonist of the race, in which he not only held on to the lead but sent a convincing message to his rivals by consistently posting the fastest times on the final laps.

      Lando had to ease off at the end of the race to avoid a penalty for excessive plank wear, and in the end he finished twenty seconds adrift.

      Kimi Antonelli performed excellently. A small mistake in the wet qualifying cost him a place in the second session; in the race he received a five-second penalty for a false start but managed to climb from seventeenth to fifth (and then to third after McLaren's disqualification), impressing with a consistent pace on the hards. In a direct comparison with Russell he was ruthless in his consistency, and in duels with Piastri and Leclerc he showed maturity.

      At Ferrari, Leclerc did everything the car allowed. He and Hamilton managed to recover after a difficult qualifying on a wet track — especially the Brit who started last — they both scored points, but it did not affect their position in the Constructors' Championship. The current standings accurately reflect the pecking order on a circuit where McLaren and Red Bull are ahead of Mercedes and Ferrari.

      With two rounds remaining in the season, the three title contenders are separated by just 24 points. We're in for a fantastic end to the season, both in sporting and psychological terms."