LAS VEGAS — Max Verstappen claimed victory in the Las Vegas Grand Prix 2025 on Saturday night after Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were both disqualified for excessive skid-plank wear, dramatically reshaping the Formula One championship fight with just two races remaining.
The stunning post-race ruling from FIA stewards removed both McLaren drivers from the results, elevating Verstappen from Red Bull Racing to the top of the classification and cutting Lando Norris’ points lead to just 24 over both Piastri and Verstappen. The decision instantly shifted the momentum of a title battle that had seemed firmly within McLaren’s control.
The final classification placed George Russell second, Kimi Antonelli third, and Charles Leclerc fourth, while Norris and Piastri were formally recorded as “DSQ — plank wear below minimum thickness.”
Verstappen Back in the Fight
Verstappen completed the 50-lap race in 1:21:08.429, navigating the 3.8-mile Strip Circuit with precision and capitalizing on errors and setup challenges faced by several teams. His victory – originally expected to be a second-place finish – now places him in a three-way tie for second in the standings alongside Piastri.
“This championship is absolutely alive again,” Verstappen said, calling the unusual set of circumstances “a reminder that nothing is settled until the FIA is done.”
The win is Verstappen’s most significant of the season, arriving just as the title fight moves to Qatar and Abu Dhabi, where 58 points remain on the table. Red Bull entered Las Vegas needing a major swing, and the sport’s governing body delivered exactly that.
McLaren’s Dominant Weekend Ends in Disaster
McLaren had entered the weekend strong, with Norris capturing pole position and Piastri qualifying near the front. Both drivers ran competitive races, with Norris finishing second on track and Piastri inside the top four.
Hours after the checkered flag, FIA scrutineers found excessive floor and skid-block wear on both cars—an infringement that carries an automatic disqualification.
Team principal Andrea Stella issued a public apology, telling fans that the team never intended to breach the regulations.
“We sincerely apologize to Lando, Oscar and all our supporters,” Stella said. “This was not a performance advantage. It was an unforeseen consequence of setup and track conditions.”
Industry analysts say the unique nature of the Las Vegas street circuit—low temperatures, high-speed bumps, and aggressive curbs—likely contributed to the wear levels.
The DSQ marks one of McLaren’s most damaging technical failures in years, turning what could have been a championship-clinching performance into a potentially season-defining setback.
Final Adjusted Top 10
After applying the double disqualification, the FIA final classification is as follows:
- Max Verstappen, Red Bull
- George Russell, Mercedes
- Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
- Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
- Carlos Sainz Jr., Williams
- Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls
- Nico Hülkenberg, Sauber
- Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
- Esteban Ocon, Haas
- Oliver Bearman, Haas
Fernando Alonso, Yuki Tsunoda, Pierre Gasly, Liam Lawson, and Franco Colapinto rounded out the remaining finishers, while Alexander Albon, Gabriel Bortoleto, and Lance Stroll registered DNFs.
Norris and Piastri were removed entirely from the classification.
Title Implications: Momentum Shifts Back to Red Bull
The disqualification created an immediate and dramatic shift in the Drivers’ Championship standings:
- Lando Norris — 390 points
- Oscar Piastri — 366 points
- Max Verstappen — 366 points
Piastri holds the tiebreaker over Verstappen on countback due to more wins.
For the first time in weeks, the championship is mathematically balanced between three contenders.
Norris still controls the narrative, but the margin is razor-thin. A single DNF in Qatar or Abu Dhabi could open the door for either Piastri or Verstappen to overtake him.
Red Bull, meanwhile, has seized the psychological advantage. Verstappen’s victory, combined with the shock disqualification for McLaren, brings renewed confidence into the final stretch.
Constructors’ Aftershocks
McLaren still leads the Constructors’ Championship by a wide margin, but the DSQ does remove valuable points.
The key standings after Las Vegas:
McLaren is still overwhelmingly likely to secure the team title, but the mistake underscores the importance of caution entering the final rounds.
A Circuit That Punishes Errors
The 2025 iteration of the Las Vegas Grand Prix brought its own unique challenges.
Teams noted severe bottoming-out issues, with high-speed portions of the circuit producing unanticipated plank wear. FIA also cautioned cars in practice for running overheated tyres, adding to a weekend rife with technical scrutiny.
Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, who climbed from the back of the grid to an eighth-place finish, said the circuit rewarded “absolute precision and zero tolerance for miscalculations.”
Even before the McLaren disqualification, the event had already raised concerns about floor durability and setup extremes.
What Each Title Contender Needs
With 58 points left:
Lando Norris
- Must finish top-four in both remaining races
- A win in Qatar or Abu Dhabi gives him control
- A DNF could cost him the championship entirely
Oscar Piastri
- Needs at least one win and must beat Norris in both races
- Must avoid further technical penalties
- Two podiums still keep him in the fight
Max Verstappen
- Needs a win and a podium at minimum
- Gains greatly from fastest lap points
- Needs Norris to finish outside top four in at least one event
The scenarios are tight, and pressure is immense for all three drivers.
A Championship Set for a Dramatic Conclusion
The Las Vegas Grand Prix 2025 will be remembered as one of the season’s most consequential weekends. Verstappen’s win—delivered after intense scrutiny—reopened a title battle many believed was drifting toward a McLaren coronation.
Instead, the grid heads to the Middle East with the championship wide open.
Two races remain.
Three drivers are separated by 24 points.
And a championship that seemed decided is suddenly reborn.
With momentum now shifting back toward Red Bull and McLaren facing internal pressure to avoid further mistakes, the final stretch of the 2025 Formula One season has the makings of a historic finish.
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