Max Verstappen: Monaco is Champions League, Las Vegas is National League

Max Verstappen likened the Las Vegas Grand Prix to the National League. Pic: Darron Cummings/AP

Max Verstappen compared Formula One’s £500million Las Vegas Grand Prix to the fifth tier of English football – and suggested the sport’s new generation of fans are only interested in partying.

Verstappen will start from second place for Saturday’s 50-lap race on the strip after Charles Leclerc put his Ferrari on pole position with a dazzling lap under the Las Vegas lights.