Beyond all the hype and razzle-dazzle beaming from all corners of this bright-light epicentre in the middle of the Nevada desert, what Formula 1 needed from their new flagship event on the Las Vegas strip was an entertaining race. Especially after starting on such unimpressive footing a few nights ago. And contrary to many of the processions in this one-sided season, the entertainment capital of the world did deliver on Saturday night. Don’t be fooled though: the top spot of the podium was no surprise. It has got to the stage now where Max Verstappen is simply inevitable. In this breed of Red Bull car, he remains lightyears ahead of the other 19 drivers behind him. On Saturday night – on a circuit he described as “National League” standard after qualifying – he was hit with a five-second penalty. Then he, unusually, spurned his first set of tyres as pole-sitter Charles Leclerc retook the lead. The Dutchman then collided with George Russell in the midfield. Yet no circumstance is too damaging to recover from and, by lap 36 of 50, Verstappen was in the lead and clear. “Viva Las Vegas!” he screeched over team radio at the end, his mood unsurprisingly glowing following an 18th victory of the season. But at least Leclerc gave the 105,000-strong crowd something to cheer at the finale. In front of hospitality boxes at the Bellagio Fountains costing $12,000 for the weekend, the Ferrari man boldly dived down the inside to take second place from the helpless Sergio Perez on the final lap; the second race running that Perez has dropped a spot at the death. It was the absorbing end Vegas executives craved. And needed. A race week so long amped up to the max, from Wednesday’s opening ceremony to UFC ring announcer Bruce Buffer’s cringey driver introductions before lights out, made headlines for all the wrong reasons on day one. The fallout from a loose drain cover on the mesmerising strip section of the track eight minutes into practice was mammoth. The reaction from F1 and LVGP did not help their image either, given their refusal to dish out refunds which should have been obligatory. But to some extent, it was all about the main event. Much like memorable fight nights at the MGM Grand and beyond in this city, 10pm on Saturday night is when the curtains are finally drawn back and the sporting show itself delivers its masterpiece. F1 provided its usual jolt of stardom in the build-up, with David Beckham, Usain Bolt and Kylie Minogue among the numerous A-list celebrities on the grid. But when it came down to the racing, this 17-turn circuit with the second-longest straight on the calendar did not disappoint. There were two safety cars – a usual tool of adding intrigue – after Lando Norris’ early crash and Verstappen’s collision with Russell. There were three leaders, all of whom had time to dream that they would be the first Vegas winner since Italian driver Michele Alboreto won the Caesars Palace car park race in 1982. Safety car No 2 – ironically caused by debris on track following Verstappen’s tangle with Russell – derailed Leclerc’s chances as he stayed out on relatively new hard tyres, while the Red Bull pairing pitted for fresh rubber. The process of heating the tyres afterwards came too slow for the Monegasque and it looked as though another Red Bull one-two was a formality. But, just in time, he found the requisite grip and speed to make one of the overtakes of the season just before the chequered flag. His emotions, he admitted afterwards, were mixed. “On one hand I’m extremely happy with today’s performance, I didn’t leave anything on the table,” Leclerc said. “On the other hand, obviously disappointed because I really believe without this safety car the win was ours.” TOP-10 - LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX 1. Max Verstappen 2. Charles Leclerc 3. Sergio Perez 4. Esteban Ocon 5. Lance Stroll 6. Carlos Sainz 7. Lewis Hamilton 8. George Russell 9. Fernando Alonso 10. Oscar Piastri Leclerc’s wait for a first win since July 2022 – and he’s had eight pole positions in that time – goes on while Perez secured second in the world championship despite that final dropped spot: the first time Red Bull have ever claimed the top two positions. Further down the order, Esteban Ocon secured an impressive fourth place for Alpine from 16th on the grid while Lance Stroll completed the top five. The Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and Russell came only seventh and eighth respectively as they draw to a close a season to forget, with just one more unlikely attempt to salvage a win in Abu Dhabi next week. But for Vegas – a city completely changed and reordered for this first race of a scheduled 10 – the final act was, finally, worthy of the hysteria. It was up there with the best races of the year, alongside Singapore and Austin. There are plenty of features to be improved, though. The top three drivers all spoke in the aftermath about an earlier start time, as well as perhaps a change of month given the ludicrous time-zone switch now to the Middle East. Logistically, the smoothness of proceedings has been questionable. Yet the glistening glow of the views overhead sparkled and, on race day, the action on the city’s streets matched it. All Sin City, and the sport, needs now is a proper battle at the top. Read More Lando Norris explained issues with Las Vegas circuit before crashing at Grand Prix F1’s Lando Norris expresses Las Vegas Grand Prix track concerns moments before crash Lando Norris endures heavy crash at start of Las Vegas Grand Prix F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix LIVE: Verstappen wins as Leclerc overtakes Perez on last lap What Charles Leclerc needs to claim victory from pole in first Las Vegas Grand Prix Charles Leclerc lights up Las Vegas to claim pole position for Ferrari

Everton’s 10-point deduction has given Luton Town a real chance of staying in the Premier League this year as they are now one point clear of the relegation zone. They are not safe by any means but two draws in their last four matches, so they are starting to adapt to the rigours of the top-flight. They host Crystal Palace this afternoon hoping to pick up a second win of the season against the Eagles who only have one victory from their last five. However, Roy Hodgson’s men have won three of their six Premier League away games this season and have the bonus of Jordan Ayew and Jefferson Lerma returning from international duty yesterday. Follow the latest action from the Premier League below.

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The host nations for Euro 2028 and 2032 will be announced by the Uefa Executive Committee on Tuesday 10th October. The meeting will begin at 9am BST with the announcement expected to follow at approximately 11-11:30am BST. The United Kingdom and Ireland currently have an unopposed bid to host the competition as Turkey withdrew to form a joint bid with Italy for 2032. As a result, the UK and Ireland are set to be named as hosts for 2028. Turkey’s bid was officially withdrawn on the 4 October which meant the home nations and the Republic of Ireland have the final remaining bid. The five nations put in a bid for the 2028 competition after they decided not to bid for the 2030 World Cup. It is possible however that some of the host nations not qualify despite hosting as automatic qualification is unlikely to be given to all five. The proposal includes matches across ten stadiums: Wembley Stadium, National Stadium of Wales, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, City of Manchester Stadium, Everton Stadium, St James’ Park, Villa Park, Hampden Park, Dublin Arena, and Casement Park. With almost three million tournament tickets available, the proposed tournament will have more tickets available than any previous UEFA EURO. Spread across five nations and ten cities with an average stadium capacity of 58,000, the sporting event has the potential to be the biggest in the UK since the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. A focus has been made on sustainability in the bid with transport plans allowing more than 80 per cent of ticket holders to the stadiums by public transport. The proposal is backed by all five national governments and National Football Associations. The final bid presentations followed by the announcement ceremony will take place on Tuesday at the UEFA Headquarters in Switzerland. The bid sets out a vision of "Football for all, Football for good. Football for the future" which aims to diversify the game and make it more inclusive, as well as connect with the next generation of fans. England and Scotland previously hosted matches at EURO 2020 including the final between England and Italy at Wembley. The match caused major chaos and organisers will be looking to provide a far safer and more positive event this time around. Turkey and Italy are set to be announced as hosts for the 2032 tournament as they too have an unopposed bid for the following tournament. Read More Euro 2028 venues: UK and Ireland name 10 stadiums as Anfield and Old Trafford miss out Gareth Bale part of Welsh delegation to help UK and Ireland Euro 2028 bid Gareth Southgate positive about UK and Ireland bid for Euro 2028 Uefa postpones matches in war-torn Israel Uefa torn over plans to reinstate Russian youth teams Gareth Southgate positive about UK and Ireland bid for Euro 2028

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