Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, of the Netherlands, celebrates with teammates after winning the Formula 1 championship after the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix auto race in Las Vegas. (AP )

LAS VEGAS, Nov 24, (Xinhua): Red Bull's Max Verstappen sealed the 2024 Formula 1 World Drivers' Championship with fifth place in Saturday's Las Vegas Grand Prix, as Mercedes' George Russell took a dominant win.

Starting from pole position, Russell held off an early challenge from Ferrari's Charles Leclerc to keep his lead in the opening laps and drove a perfect race to score his second win of the 2024 season.

"I was planning on flying in a couple of hours but I'm not getting on that flight!" quipped Russell, whose Mercedes team had been dominant all weekend long.

"I will enjoy this evening with all my team. It's been a dream weekend. I don't know how I've been so quick, but I'm enjoying this ride.

"Vegas is just a crazy place. I can't even describe this place. I was waiting for something to happen. The two races I've been on the pole before have been chaos."

Verstappen faded to fifth after being second at the race's halfway point. Still, with his only title rival, Lando Norris, not in contention for major points, the Dutchman seemed content to manage his pace and collect his fourth consecutive World Championship title.

"It's been a long season. Of course, we started amazing, it was almost like cruising but then we had a tough run," said Verstappen, who won seven of the first ten Grands Prix of 2024, but then endured a ten-race winless run as Red Bull slipped back in competitiveness.

"But as a team, we kept it together, we kept working on improvement, and we crossed the line.

I'm incredibly proud of everyone, and what they have done for me.

"And to stand here as a four-time world champion is something I never thought possible. So, at the moment just feeling relieved, in a way, but also very proud."

Behind Russell, Lewis Hamilton rose from tenth on the grid to finish second and make it a Mercedes 1-2, underlining the Silver Arrows' dominance around the streets of Las Vegas.

Carlos Sainz rounded out the podium places for Ferrari, with teammate Leclerc finishing fourth.

Behind Verstappen, Norris took sixth, ending his slim title hopes on a day when McLaren had no answer to the frontrunners.

Norris' teammate Oscar Piastri finished seventh, with Nico Hulkenberg taking a strong eighth for Haas, ahead of RB's Yuki Tsunoda and Verstappen's teammate Sergio Perez rounding out the top ten.

Verstappen's points total now stands at an unassailable 403 points. Norris remains second with 340 points, and Leclerc is third with 319 points.

While the Drivers' Championship has been sealed, the Constructors' Championship remains very much alive, with McLaren still leading the way with 608 points. Ferrari is second on 584, with Red Bull third on 555 points.

Two rounds of the 2024 F1 season remain, with the first being the Qatar Grand Prix at the Lusail Circuit on December 1.