Max Verstappen Keeps Championship Chances Alive After Lando Norris Error in Tense Las Vegas Grand Prix
Max Verstappen delivered a commanding and composed performance under the bright lights of the Las Vegas Strip, taking a crucial victory that keeps his hopes of retaining the Formula 1 world championship alive. The Dutchman, who entered the weekend with a sizable deficit to championship leader Lando Norris, capitalised brilliantly on an early mistake from the McLaren driver to claw back valuable points. Although the points gain was limited to seven—thanks to Norris recovering strongly to finish second—it was enough for Verstappen to reduce the gap from 49 points to 42 with just two rounds left in the 2025 season.
For Norris, the race was a blend of frustration and relief. The McLaren driver made a costly error moments after the lights went out, but his recovery drive ensured that his championship lead remains healthy heading into the Qatar Grand Prix. More importantly, his second-place finish allowed him to widen the margin to team-mate Oscar Piastri, his closest rival besides Verstappen. Norris now holds a 30-point advantage over Piastri, making him the overwhelming favourite to take the title barring a dramatic late-season twist.
A Chaotic Start Sets the Tone
The drama began immediately at the start as Verstappen launched superbly from the front row. Sensing the threat, Norris reacted aggressively, veering across to defend the inside line. However, he braked too late for Turn 1, locked up heavily, and ran wide. The mistake opened the door for Verstappen to sweep into the lead, and George Russell also slipped through to demote Norris to third.
Further back, chaos unfolded in the midfield. Liam Lawson, struggling on cold tyres, locked up at the opening corner and nudged Oscar Piastri off the racing line. The incident forced Piastri to lose key positions, dropping him from his fifth-place grid slot and creating an early setback in his fading title bid.
Recovery Drives and Race Management
Piastri, however, refused to let the setback derail his afternoon. Through a mixture of strategic pace management and decisive overtakes, the young Australian climbed back to fourth place by the finish. Despite his recovery, he lacked the speed to challenge Norris or Verstappen and remained consistently off the pace of his main rivals.
With only 58 points still available across the final two races, Piastri’s 30-point deficit to Norris leaves him requiring a near-perfect finish to stand any chance of turning the championship tide.
The overall race itself became a strategic contest as drivers focused heavily on tyre conservation. From the third lap onward, teams were forced into protective strategies due to Las Vegas’ notoriously smooth and unforgiving street surface. The track layout—frequently criticised for producing processional racing—once again limited overtaking opportunities, and the front-runners mostly mirrored each other’s pit calls to minimise risk.
While Verstappen controlled the pace at the front with apparent ease, Norris settled into a damage-limiting rhythm. Russell, after his strong start, faded as his tyres degraded faster than those of his rivals, but he still managed to secure third for Mercedes. Behind them, Kimi Antonelli impressed again with a composed run to fifth, while Ferrari pair Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton endured mixed fortunes, finishing sixth and tenth respectively.
Las Vegas Grand Prix Full Results (2025)
1. Max Verstappen — Red Bull
2. Lando Norris — McLaren — +20.741s
3. George Russell — Mercedes — +23.546s
4. Oscar Piastri — McLaren — +27.650s
5. Kimi Antonelli — Mercedes — +30.488s
6. Charles Leclerc — Ferrari — +30.678s
7. Carlos Sainz — Williams — +34.924s
8. Isack Hadjar — Racing Bulls — +45.257s
9. Nico Hulkenberg — Kick Sauber — +51.134s
10. Lewis Hamilton — Ferrari — +59.369s
11. Esteban Ocon — Haas — +1:00.635s
12. Oliver Bearman — Haas — +1:10.549s
13. Fernando Alonso — Aston Martin — +1:25.308s
14. Yuki Tsunoda — Red Bull — +1:26.974s
15. Pierre Gasly — Alpine — +1:31.702s
16. Liam Lawson — Racing Bulls — 1 Lap
17. Franco Colapinto — Alpine — 1 Lap
18. Alex Albon — Williams — DNF
19. Gabriel Bortoleto — Kick Sauber — DNF
20. Lance Stroll — Aston Martin — DNF
Fastest Lap Points Scrapped for 2025
A notable rule change played a subtle role this season: the removal of the fastest lap bonus point. Introduced in 2019, the extra point often influenced late-race pit stop gambles. In some cases, drivers abandoned competitive positions just to secure the fastest lap or deny a rival. One memorable example came in 2024 when Daniel Ricciardo, in his final race, grabbed the fastest lap from last place in Singapore, inadvertently benefiting Verstappen in the title fight.
For 2025, however, that strategic wrinkle is gone—meaning every point must now be earned through track position alone.
Who Is the Current Champion?
Max Verstappen remains the reigning Formula 1 world champion, having secured his fourth drivers’ title last year. With two races remaining, he is still fighting to keep that crown, although Norris retains control of the championship narration.
