Verstappen started fifth on the street circuit with his McLaren rival next to him in sixth place.

The duo went side by side into turn one before Verstappen edged ahead to maintain his spot, while pole-sitter Russell cruised ahead to lead the pack.

Not even a plastic bag stuck under the body of his Mercedes could stop Russell, who comfortably won the grand prix – his third victory.

Norris failed to come close to Verstappen during the race, though he did secure the fastest lap. He finished in sixth place.

A gracious Norris congratulated Verstappen and said his rival “drove a better season”.

“I’ll start by saying congrats to Max, as much as it hurts,” Norris joked during a post-race interview with Sky Sports.

“I mean saying congrats to him doesn’t hurt ... but knowing the championship is 100 per cent over ... you always have a little hope inside, but he drove an incredible season. When he had the quickest car he dominated, when he didn’t, he was still there ... and always on my heels.”

Mechanical issues plagued the midfield in Sunday’s race. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly retired due to engine failure and Williams’ Alex Albon also failed to finish, with commentators suggesting debris many have been caught in his car.

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri started eighth on the grid but copped a five-second penalty after a false start.

The Melburnian finished in seventh place, wounding McLaren’s standings in the constructor’s championship.

Qualifying was delayed earlier in the weekend after Williams rookie Franco Colapinto clipped the wall and slammed into the barrier, littering the track with shattered debris.

The Argentinian suffered an impact of 50G but was cleared to race after passing a medical evaluation, starting the grand prix from pit lane.

The glitz and glam of the Las Vegas Grand Prix attracted numerous Hollywood A-listers including model Winnie Harlow, actor Sylvester Stallone, singer Adele and chef Gordon Ramsay.

Actor Brad Pitt was also spotted on track earlier in the weekend, filming scenes for his upcoming motorsport film F1 – for which Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton is serving as the executive producer.

Footage showed the actor stumbling away from a crash, clouded by smoke before collapsing on the ground.

While the drivers’ championship is over, the battle for the constructors’ championship is still wide open.

Red Bull are still third in the fight for the constructors’ title, on 555 points – trailing McLaren (608) and Ferrari (584).

There are only two rounds of the season left – Qatar from November 29 to December 1, and the season finale in Abu Dhabi from December 6 to 8.

News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport are sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.