In an intense battle on the streets of Las Vegas, Max Verstappen of Red Bull emerged victorious at the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix after a collision threatened to derail his chances. The race showcased Red Bull's dominance, with Verstappen facing a rare challenge from Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.

The race took an unexpected turn when Verstappen controversially took the lead at the start by running wide at turn one, with Leclerc right behind him. Verstappen was later penalized with a five-second time penalty to serve at his first pit stop. However, Leclerc managed to reel him in and took the lead before Verstappen's penalty had been served.

On the medium tire, Red Bull struggled to match Ferrari's pace. However, when the cars switched to the hard tire, Red Bull came alive. Verstappen displayed his competitive edge on the hard tire but found himself further back in the pack due to the penalty, giving Ferrari the opportunity to keep Leclerc out longer before his pit stop.

Leclerc made the most of this advantage, going further on his original set of medium tires than any other driver. When he eventually changed to the hard rubber, his tires were five laps fresher than Verstappen's. By the halfway mark of the race, Leclerc had a three-second lead over Verstappen.

However, Verstappen's victory chances seemed to be in jeopardy when he collided with George Russell at turn 12, damaging his front wing. Fortunately for Verstappen, race control deployed the Safety Car to clear the debris, allowing Red Bull to bring both their drivers in for another set of hard tires. Ferrari, on the other hand, decided not to pit Leclerc, leaving him with older rubber than the Red Bull drivers.

Although Leclerc lost positions to both Red Bull drivers over the final stint, he managed to pass Sergio Perez on the last lap to finish just two seconds behind Verstappen. The timing of the Safety Car period left Leclerc wondering where he would have finished without losing his advantage in lap time and tire age.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner believed that their decision to pit under the Safety Car was the right call, while Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur felt that Red Bull's tire life advantage played a significant role in the second half of the race.

Pirelli's head of motorsport, Mario Isola, also acknowledged the impact of the Safety Car on Verstappen's advantage. With Verstappen changing tires five laps before Leclerc, it is speculated that he would have suffered more with tire degradation if he hadn't pitted earlier.

Despite the various challenges faced throughout the race, Max Verstappen's determination and skill ultimately secured his victory at the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix. The race showcased the fierce competition between Red Bull and Ferrari, setting the stage for more thrilling battles in the future.