After two poles and two wins in a perfect São Paulo Sprint weekend, Lando Norris has put himself in control of the Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Championship standings and remaining points
– Norris leads team-mate Oscar Piastri by 24 points and Max Verstappen by 49 points.
– Three race weekends remain: Las Vegas (Nov 21-23), Qatar Sprint weekend (Nov 28-30) and Abu Dhabi (Dec 5-7).
– A maximum of 83 points remain available: 25 for a Grand Prix win and 8 for a Sprint win at the Qatar weekend (plus other points for lower positions).
How strong Norris’ position is
– Sky Sports’ Martin Brundle said Norris is “almost one race victory ahead of Piastri and almost two ahead of Verstappen.”
– Norris does not necessarily need another win to be champion. If he finished second in all three remaining Grands Prix and won/achieved the Sprint result combinations described (including the Qatar Sprint), he would still secure the title in Abu Dhabi.
– If Norris finished second to Piastri in each remaining Grand Prix (and other results align), he would win the title by two points.
– Sky Sports’ Karun Chandhok pointed to Norris’ recent form and team cohesion as a key factor in his advantage.
Earliest possible clinch
– The earliest the title can be decided is the Qatar Grand Prix (the penultimate round), which includes the final Sprint a week before Abu Dhabi.
– To be champion in Qatar, a driver would need to leave Lusail at least 26 points clear. Norris currently needs to extend his 24-point lead by two points over the next two events to achieve that.
– There will be no coronation in Las Vegas: even a Norris win combined with a Piastri retirement in Vegas would leave 58 points still available heading to Qatar.
Why the fight is far from over
– With 25 points available for a race win, a single bad weekend for Norris could overturn the standings. He suffered that at the Dutch GP, where a late retirement cost him 25 points to Piastri.
– If Norris retired in Vegas and Piastri scored well, Piastri could take the lead heading to Qatar, and Verstappen could re-enter contention.
– Norris has emphasised a cautious mindset: keep focused, keep pushing, accept that form can change.
Verstappen’s chances
– Verstappen remains mathematically in contention but his path is narrow. At 49 points back, the permutations are precarious.
– He delivered a strong recovery in São Paulo from a pit-lane start to the podium, but still lost further ground to Norris.
– Verstappen would drop out of the running before Qatar if Norris outscores him by nine points or more in Las Vegas.
Theoretical maximum points totals
– Norris: currently 390; maximum possible 473.
– Piastri: maximum possible 449.
– Verstappen: maximum possible 424.
The title race heads to Las Vegas this weekend, with Qatar and Abu Dhabi to follow as the season concludes.