Fan Takes $100,000 in Profits After Betting on Max Verstappen Despite Ferrari Being Favorites for Las Vegas

Fan Takes $100,000 in Profits After Betting on Max Verstappen Despite Ferrari Being Favorites for Las Vegas

A fan bet a whopping $200,000 on Max Verstappen to win the 2023 Las Vegas GP despite Ferrari being favorites to finish P1. In the end, however, the lucky fan walked away with a massive $100,000 profit, per reports on X.

The fortune of the fan was revealed by BetMGM, a subsidiary of the revered MGM Group. What makes this gamble really spectacular is the form Ferrari were in for the entirety of the race weekend. The SF-23 looked like a supreme package all through the weekend with Charles Leclerc grabbing a comfortable pole position during Qualifying.

Verstappen won his 18th Grand Prix of the season on the iconic Vegas strip. However, this victory wasn’t like his previous 17. This time around, it wasn’t until the final lap and the final corner that anyone knew for sure that the Dutchman was going to come out victorious. Throughout the race, he had to manage a cumbersome RB19 with Leclerc breathing down his neck. What’s more, his race wasn’t uneventful at all with an early penalty and contact with George Russell on lap 29.

It wasn’t until the 2nd Safety Car that Leclerc was finally put out of contention. After Verstappen made contact with Russell, the resultant debris led to a full-course caution. With Leclerc just having pit 5 laps ago, the Safety Car neutralized any advantage he had over the three-time champion. As such, Verstappen then assumed the driver’s seat in contention for the win.

Despite being penalized, Max Verstappen prevailed over Charles Leclerc

Verstappen was penalized with a 5-second time penalty for running Leclerc wide into turn 1 at the start of the race. Four wheels off the track, the Dutch lion assumed the lead of the race, albeit with a time penalty to serve. In the aftermath of the race, Leclerc questioned the veracity of the stewards’ decision in not directing the 26-year-old to yield the position to the Monegasque.

No one at Ferrari was pleased with the result as they knew a win was on the horizon. Be that as it may, now, the team has shifted it’s focus onto the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The last race of the season will decide who seals P2 in the Constructors’ championship with only 4 points separating the Scuderia from Mercedes.

With recent form in mind, it seems as though the prancing horse of Ferrari will triumph over the Silver Arrows. The W14 has been an unpredictable beast in the hands of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell. With only one race to go, Ferrari may just edge Mercedes to P2 in the championship this race weekend.

Post Edited By: Somin Bhattacharjee
Charles Leclerc ferrari Max Verstappen Mercedes Red Bull

About the author

Anirban Aly Mandal

Anirban Aly Mandal is an F1 writer at The SportsRush, with over 1000 articles under his belt, Anirban's love for F1 started when he discovered a copy of F1 2014 on his computer. With over half a decade's worth of time spent religiously following the sport, he’s dived deep into the world of motorsports. However, Anirban's expertise goes beyond just writing - he has also written several academic papers focused on the domain of motorsports and the law. His passion for the sport is so immense that he aspires to work as a legal advisor in the most prestigious racing series in the world someday. When it comes to Formula 1, Anirban finds great pleasure in re-watching classic races and idolizes the likes of Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, and Sebastian Vettel. His top picks include Brazil '91, Silverstone '92, and Germany '19. Outside of the sport, Anirban is an avid sim racer, often found racing on titles like Assetto Corsa, F1 22, and Automobilista. Apart from his interests in gaming, Anirban has a keen interest in philosophy, literature and music.

Don’t miss these