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RACE START: Relive a dramatic getaway in the Las Vegas Grand Prix as Verstappen and Leclerc tangle while Alonso spins

19 November 2023

2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix: Verstappen snatches the lead from Leclerc at Turn 1, with chaos down the field on the race start

The inaugural getaway at the Las Vegas Grand Prix saw front row pair Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc tangle – while there was drama further back with a number of spinners at Turn 1.

Pre-race chat around the race about Verstappen starting on the dustier side of the track proved no hindrance to the world champion, as he easily got alongside pole-sitter Leclerc on the run down to Turn 1.

LIVE COVERAGE: Follow all the action from the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix

But then the action really began as Verstappen and Leclerc both plunged off into the run-off zone before continuing on with Verstappen in the lead – much to Leclerc’s annoyance. The Dutch racer was subsequently handed a five-second penalty by stewards for the incident.

Behind, meanwhile, Sergio Perez tagged Valtteri Bottas, Fernando Alonso spun on his own before then facing off against Bottas’s Alfa Romeo, while Carlos Sainz nerfed the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton.

Relive the race start in the video above.