“Life doesn’t always go as planned, and adversity can be hard to face,” Schumacher wrote on Instagram.

“But every challenge is a chance to learn, grow and come back even stronger. This is just a chapter, not the whole story.

“The journey continues, and I am determined to rise above it. Thank you for your support, it means the world.’

Schumacher has yet to be confirmed as Mercedes reserve again next year as he assesses his next steps.

3. Red Bull Racing – 544 points

5. Aston Martin – 86 points

Sky Germany expert Schumacher, who revealed he was in a same-sex relationship in July, had insisted that Perez not drive a “one meter” too Red Bull next year, as speculation continues to spin about the future of the Mexican in the sport.

Still, Perez’s father Antonio, 65, responded to those comments by making light of Schumacher’s decision to come out as gay earlier this year.

As Russell saw off Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz by just 0.098 seconds to land first place in Sin City, Hamilton was left to rue two mistakes that leave him well down the order.

Pierre Gasly took a surprising third for Alpine, one place ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

Lando Norris must overtake Max Verstappen by at least three points to extend the title fight to the penultimate race in Qatar, but the British driver will start one place behind the Dutchman in sixth.

Formula 1 driver Yuki Tsunoda was questioned by US border control officials before he was allowed into the US ahead of the weekend Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Japanese driver Tsunoda, who has competed in F1 since 2021, says he traveled with his physical therapist but went through immigration on his own.

The 24-year-old was then interrogated for several hours, despite having the correct paperwork, before he was allowed to enter the country. Tsunoda had flown in ahead of his RB team for a promotional event.

1. Max Verstappen – 393 points

2. Lando Norris – 331 points

3. Charles Leclerc – 307 points

4. Oscar Piastri – 262 points

5. Carlos Sainz – 244 points

6. George Russell – 192 points

7. Lewis Hamilton – 190 points

8. Sergio Perez – 151 points

9. Fernando Alonso – 62 points

10. Nico Hulkenberg – 31 points

11. Yuki Tsunoda – 28 points

12. Pierre Gasly – 26 points

13. Lance Stroll – 24 points

14. Esteban Ocon – 23 points

15. Kevin Magnussen – 14 points

16. Alex Albon – 12 points

17. Daniel Ricciardo – 12 points

18. Ollie Bearman – 7 points

19. Franco Colapinto – 5 points

20. Liam Lawson – 4 points

21. Zhou Guanyu – 0 points

22. Logan Sargeant – 0 points

23. Valtteri Bottas – 0 points

Norris saw his title hopes crumble at the last race in Brazil as Verstappen produced one of his best ever drives to take victory from 17th on the grid in wet conditions.

With 62 points separating the pair with three races remaining, Red Bull’s Verstappen will win his fourth straight F1 title if he finishes ahead of McLaren’s Norris at this weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix.

The Argentine driver, who has been linked with a place at Red Bull for 2025, pushed for a top-10 shootout in Q2 on Friday night.

Still, the 21-year-old got it wrong when he clipped the wall at Turn 15, sending his Williams off course and slamming into the wall.