Thrills, spills and a dramatic post-race twist in the Drivers’ Championship defined the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix. Max Verstappen took a commanding victory on the Strip, but the weekend’s biggest story came after the chequered flag when both McLaren cars were disqualified for a technical infringement.
Double McLaren disqualification shakes up title fight
Lando Norris looked set to limit the damage to his championship lead after qualifying on pole and finishing second on the road, with team mate Oscar Piastri fourth. However, technical delegates found the rearmost skid blocks on both McLarens to be worn below the minimum 9mm thickness during post-race inspection. Following hearings, both Norris and Piastri were disqualified from the Las Vegas results, costing them the points they had scored.
Before the disqualifications Norris had 408 points (30 clear of Piastri and 42 ahead of Verstappen). The DSQs reduced his total to 390, bringing him to a 24-point lead over both Piastri and Verstappen, who are now level on 366 points. With two rounds remaining, the championship has tightened considerably and Norris will head to Qatar under far more pressure than first appeared likely.
Verstappen’s dominant night
On the track Verstappen produced a dominant display. He seized the lead early after Norris ran wide at Turn 1 while attempting an aggressive defence, then controlled the race from the front. Verstappen stretched his advantage through the stints and crossed the line about 20 seconds ahead of the next car, a margin that underscored his pace on the Las Vegas street circuit. The win bolstered his late-season title push and closed the gap to the McLaren drivers after their subsequent disqualifications.
Mercedes resurgence: Russell hampered, Antonelli impresses
George Russell, winner in Las Vegas last year, recovered strongly and — after the McLaren DSQs were applied — moved up the order. He ran as high as second early on and was within DRS range of Verstappen, but a recurring steering issue that began around lap five limited his outright pace. Russell said the steering problem returned from qualifying and, combined with tyre graining after pushing hard in the second stint, prevented a stronger challenge.
Team mate Kimi Antonelli produced one of the weekend’s standout drives. Starting P17 on the soft tyre, he pitted early for hards and climbed through the field to reach as high as fourth. A five-second penalty for a jump start initially dropped him behind Oscar Piastri, but Antonelli ultimately benefitted from McLaren’s disqualification and finished on the podium, highlighting Mercedes’ clever (if risky) strategic calls and the young Italian’s racecraft.
Ferrari fightback amid a tough weekend
Ferrari endured a difficult weekend in qualifying, especially in the wet sessions, with Lewis Hamilton recording his worst-ever F1 qualifying (P20 on the grid) — note: Hamilton drives for a rival team, not Ferrari; Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc managed P9. In the dry race both Ferrari drivers fought forward: Leclerc made several early overtakes and, despite traffic and high-downforce compromises, produced a strong charge. He finished sixth on the road and, after the penalties and DSQs were applied, ended the night only a tenth shy of the podium position altered by post-race penalties. Hamilton recovered from a poor grid slot to score points, describing the weekend as “horrendous” but salvaging something from a bleak qualifying showing.
F1 Academy: Pin seals the title
The F1 Academy title battle concluded in Las Vegas with Doriane Pin clinching the championship. Pin began the weekend nine points clear of Maya Weug, won the rain-affected opening race and then finished fifth in the final race — enough to take the title by 15 points after Weug suffered a formation-lap crash in Race 1 that seriously dented her chances. Pin’s campaign, after finishing runner-up last year, confirmed her as a rising talent.
Vegas spectacle: stars, fireworks and a Lego Cadillac
Beyond the racing, Las Vegas delivered its trademark spectacle. The podium presentation featured a Lego pink Cadillac driven by Terry Crews to ferry Verstappen, and a fountain display with Mickey Mouse added to the show. Celebrities in attendance included Beyoncé and Jay‑Z, Cynthia Erivo, Sam Worthington, Mark Wahlberg and Ben Affleck, while Olympic and tennis stars enjoyed the off‑track razzmatazz. The event combined big-name glitz with intense on-track drama — and a controversial post-race ruling that reshaped the championship heading into the final rounds.