Max Verstappen continues his winning streak in Las Vegas

Max Verstappen won the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix for a record-extending 18th victory of the Formula One season on Saturday.

The triumph was the 53rd of the triple world champion's career, and sixth in a row, leaving the Dutch driver level with now-retired German Sebastian Vettel in third place on the sport's all-time winners' list.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who started on pole position, seized second place from Red Bull's Sergio Perez with a last lap overtake.

“Viva Las Vegas! Viva Las Vegas!” sang the three-time reigning world champion as he crossed under the checkered flag waved by Justin Bieber. Verstappen had slammed the race at every chance, yet raced in an Elvis-inspired fire-suit and took the victory on the famed Las Vegas Strip.

“I hope everyone enjoyed it, we definitely did. Excited to come back here next year and try to do something similar,” said Verstappen, who had markedly reversed his position on the Las Vegas spectacle.

Verstappen, Leclerc and Perez were driven in a limousine to the victory podium located near the Bellagio – "we go straight to the nightclub,” Verstappen told his fellow podium finishers – but they were instead treated to the casino's famed fountain show.

The build-up to Formula One’s debut race on the Strip has been mired in controversy following Thursday’s practice washout and Verstappen comparing the Las Vegas race to football’s National League.

But the 3.8-mile venue served up a brilliant race which culminated in Verstappen passing Leclerc for the lead on lap 37 of 50.

A celebrity-jammed grid dispersed moments before the lights went out in Sin City, and it was Verstappen who raced away from his marks to gazump the pole-sitter into the opening bend.

However, Verstappen’s move