Max Verstappen fires ominous warning as F1 title race nears endgame

Max Verstappen insists he and Red Bull "have nothing to lose" as the F1 title race approaches its crunch point in the Las Vegas Grand Prix. 

Verstappen can be eliminated from contention for a fifth straight crown in Las Vegas, provided current championship leader Lando Norris out-scores him by 10 or more points.

Heading into the Nevada weekend, there are 83 points left up for grabs, with Verstappen 49 behind the McLaren driver. After the weekend, there will be 58 points remaining, and with Norris holding the advantage in second places on countback if Verstappen were to sweep the Qatar and Abu Dhabi weekends, it would be enough for the Briton to dethrone Verstappen.

However, last time out in Brazil, Verstappen surged from the pit-lane to finish in third place, with his fresh power unit coming good, with Las Vegas also a track reliant on engine power for the blast along the strip.

Looking ahead to the weekend, Verstappen, who won his fourth title in Vegas a year ago, believes Red Bull has "nothing to lose."

"Brazil was a special race for us. I didn’t think that a podium was possible, but it really was an incredible turnaround by the team and shows we never give up," Verstappen explained.

"As we head to the last triple header, it is the final stretch to the end of the season; we will try and perform as best we can and keep pushing, as we have nothing to lose. 

"Las Vegas is a fast circuit, there is low downforce, and the temperatures look pretty low this week, so we will need to be managing our tyres well. 

"We have great memories at this track, winning the championship here in Vegas last year, so hopefully we have another positive performance on Sunday too."