Round 22 in Las Vegas delivered a seismic shift in the F1 drivers’ championship, dramatically opening up the title race with just two rounds left in the 2025 season.

Max Verstappen came into the weekend with a daunting challenge: to remain in the championship hunt, he needed to prevent Lando Norris, the current leader, from gaining more than nine points over him.

Verstappen began the race in second place, trailing Norris, but swiftly seized the lead on the first lap when Norris made an error by running wide at Turn 1.

From that moment, the Dutch driver expertly guided his Red Bull to a dominant victory, crossing the finish line nearly 21 seconds ahead of Norris. Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri moved up to fourth position after Andrea Kimi Antonelli was penalized with a five-second penalty, demoting him to fifth.

Norris initially celebrated his second-place finish with the knowledge that he was edging closer to his first world title, as the result extended his lead to 30 points over Piastri and 42 points over Verstappen.

However, the celebrations were short-lived for McLaren as both of their cars were disqualified post-race due to excessive plank wear, erasing the points they earned for finishing second and fourth.

His celebrations were short-lived however as both McLarens were disqualified post-race due to excessive plank wear, wiping out their points from finishing second and fourth.

What had once seemed like a distant dream of a fifth consecutive world title for Verstappen suddenly became within reach, as he now finds himself tied with Piastri on points at 366, both sitting only 24 points behind Norris with two rounds remaining.

Next weekend features a sprint race, meaning there is a maximum of 33 points up for grabs for a driver. Verstappen and Piastri will have to win in Qatar while hoping Norris falters to keep their title bids alive heading to the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

Meanwhile, Norris must leave Doha leading the standings with at least 26 points over both Verstappen and Piastri to be crowned champion – which means outscoring them by two points or more. Should he manage that without major setbacks, the Briton will clinch the championship after Sunday’s race.

Norris cannot wrap up the title next Saturday in the sprint, as even if he wins and both Verstappen and Piastri fail to score, the gap would still be 32 points, with 50 points left across the main races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

Forbes2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix Results: Verstappen Wins, McLaren Suffers Double DisqualificationBy Yara ElshebinyForbesF1 2025 Calendar: Full Race Schedule And Sprint VenuesBy Yara Elshebiny

Elsewhere, McLaren’s double disqualification also benefitted Mercedes, with George Russell moving up to P2 and Antonelli securing a podium finish in third after starting the race in a lowly 17th.

The race result strengthened the Brackley squad’s hold on second place in the constructors’ standings, now sitting 40 points ahead of Red Bull.

F1 Drivers’ Standings After Las Vegas

1. Lando Norris (McLaren): 390 points
2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren): 366 points
3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull): 366 points
4. George Russell (Mercedes): 294 points
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari): 226 points
6. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari): 152 points
7. Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes): 137 points
8. Alexander Albon (Williams): 73 points
9. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls): 51 points
10. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber): 49 points
11. Carlos Sainz (Williams): 48 points
12. Oliver Bearman (Haas): 41 points
13. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin): 40 points
14. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls): 36 points
15. Esteban Ocon (Haas): 32 points
16. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin): 32 points
17. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull): 28 points
18. Pierre Gasly (Alpine): 22 points
19. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber): 19 points
20. Franco Colapinto (Alpine): 0 points

F1 Constructors’ Standings After Las Vegas

1. McLaren: 756 points (champions)
2. Mercedes: 431 points
3. Red Bull Racing: 391 points
4. Ferrari: 378 points
5. Williams: 121 points
6. Racing Bulls: 90 points
7. Haas: 73 points
8. Aston Martin: 72 points
9. Sauber: 68 points
10. Alpine: 22 points

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