Formula 1’s 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix Review
Las Vegas under the lights always promises a spectacle, but the 2025 edition delivered something far more dramatic — a championship-altering showdown filled with aggression, chaos, and controversy. What began as another strategic duel between Lando Norris and Max Verstappen transformed into one of the season’s most consequential races, ultimately reshaping both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ standings. With the Strip Circuit soaked in neon and adrenaline, Verstappen seized control early and never looked back, while McLaren’s night collapsed under the weight of a devastating double disqualification.
Qualifying – Las Vegas Grand Prix 2025
Lando Norris made it three poles in a row after mastering treacherous wet conditions under the Las Vegas lights to secure top spot for Sunday’s Grand Prix. The McLaren driver clocked a 1:47.934 to edge out Max Verstappen by nearly three-tenths, with Carlos Sainz continuing his impressive late-season form to put his Williams on the second row. The session unfolded amid steady rain, forcing drivers to adapt between wet and intermediate tyres around the high-speed Strip Circuit.
George Russell was one of the standouts, topping both Q1 and Q2 in the worst of the weather before taking fourth in Q3, ahead of Oscar Piastri, who lost time after a wide moment at Turn 12 while fighting for clear track against Isack Hadjar. The Racing Bulls pair impressed again with Liam Lawson in sixth and Hadjar eighth, while Fernando Alonso slotted into seventh for Aston Martin. Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari and Pierre Gasly’s Alpine rounded out the top ten.
Further back, Nico Hülkenberg narrowly missed Q3 in 11th, while Lance Stroll, Esteban Ocon, Oliver Bearman, and Franco Colapinto filled the midfield. Alexander Albon’s session ended in the wall at Turn 16, while Kimi Antonelli, Gabriel Bortoleto, Yuki Tsunoda, and Lewis Hamilton were also eliminated in Q1 after struggling to find grip on the wet tyres — the seven-time champion finishing 20th overall.
Final Qualifying Classification — 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix
| Pos | Driver | Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:55.473 | 1:51.379 | 1:47.934 |
| 2 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1:53.458 | 1:51.593 | 1:48.257 |
| 3 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1:54.873 | 1:51.144 | 1:48.296 |
| 4 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:53.144 | 1:50.935 | 1:48.803 |
| 5 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:54.544 | 1:52.126 | 1:48.961 |
| 6 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1:54.828 | 1:51.621 | 1:49.062 |
| 7 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:53.739 | 1:51.865 | 1:49.466 |
| 8 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | 1:55.613 | 1:51.120 | 1:49.554 |
| 9 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:54.814 | 1:51.952 | 1:49.872 |
| 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:54.432 | 1:51.760 | 1:51.540 |
Race Review – 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix
Max Verstappen delivered an outstanding performance on the streets of Las Vegas to take a dominant victory and keep himself firmly in the 2025 title fight — but the major story of the night came after the chequered flag, as both McLaren drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, were disqualified due to excessive skid-block wear found during post-race scrutineering.
Verstappen Seizes Control at the Start
The race exploded into drama immediately. Pole-sitter Lando Norris aggressively moved across to defend from Verstappen on the run into Turn 1, but ran wide and lost momentum as he tried to rejoin the track. Verstappen slipped ahead, taking the lead into the next corner. George Russell also capitalized, sweeping past Norris into Turn 3 and securing second place.
Behind them, chaos erupted. Compared to Verstappen and Norris, Oscar Piastri had a much more difficult opening sequence, getting hit by Liam Lawson’s Racing Bulls machine at Turn 1 — the stewards later deemed no further action necessary. Further back, Gabriel Bortoleto attempted an over-ambitious dive, colliding with Lance Stroll and forcing both into immediate retirement. Pierre Gasly was also spun around in the incident. A Virtual Safety Car was deployed to clear debris.
Russell Pressures Verstappen While the Midfield Battles Behind
When racing resumed, Russell found himself within DRS range of Verstappen for several laps, but the Red Bull slowly edged clear. Norris remained within striking distance of the Mercedes driver, while Sainz ran a stable fourth ahead of Isack Hadjar, Piastri, and Charles Leclerc.
Leclerc was particularly aggressive in the early laps, overtaking Bearman for P7 and then launching past Piastri and Hadjar on consecutive laps to climb firmly into the top six.
Pit Stops and Strategy
As the pit cycle began, Alonso became the first driver inside the top ten to pit for hard tyres. Russell followed on the next lap, rejoining behind Hadjar. Piastri and Norris boxed shortly after; Piastri rejoined ahead of Hadjar, while Norris emerged behind Russell.
Sainz also pitted after heavy pressure from Leclerc, and Leclerc himself boxed one lap later, rejoining between Piastri and Sainz.
At halfway, Verstappen pitted for hard tyres from the lead and retained it with a margin of just over one second from Russell, with Norris in third. Hulkenberg and Hamilton — both starting on the hard tyre — temporarily ran inside the top five until completing their stops.
Final Phase: Verstappen Pulls Away as Leclerc Charges
Verstappen steadily built a gap over Russell and Norris, eventually extending his lead to more than five seconds. Norris had previously closed to within one second of Russell but could not maintain the pace to challenge Verstappen.
Meanwhile, the battles behind intensified. Piastri overtook Sainz for position after the stops, and a three-way fight between Antonelli, Piastri, and Leclerc developed in the closing laps. Piastri attempted an outside pass into Turn 14 but was firmly held off by Antonelli, while Leclerc pressured both of them.
Antonelli, though quick, was carrying a five-second penalty for a false start, meaning he would drop behind any car within that margin after the race.
Verstappen Wins, Russell Holds On — Until the Disqualifications
Verstappen crossed the line comfortably for his sixth win of the season, reducing Norris’s championship lead to just 42 points. Russell finished second on the road despite steering issues, while Norris completed the podium ahead of Piastri and Antonelli.
But minutes later, the standings were thrown into chaos.
The Disqualifications: Norris & Piastri Removed from Results
FIA scrutineers discovered that both McLarens had rear skid-block wear below the minimum thickness, a clear technical breach eliminating both drivers, This elevated George Russell to P2, with Kimi Antonelli officially taking P3 despite his penalty, and Charles Leclerc rising to P4. Carlos Sainz inherited P5.The revised final order dramatically altered the championship picture and delivered a costly blow to McLaren during a decisive stage of the season.
What Happened?
- The titanium skid plates under both cars had worn beyond the permitted limit.
- Excess wear usually indicates a car running too low relative to the track surface, creating more downforce but risking bottoming-out.
- The FIA checks only a subset of cars — the McLarens were among those selected.
- After inspection, both planks showed insufficient remaining thickness.
Final Race Classification — 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix
| Pos | Driver | Team | Laps | Time / Retired | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 50 | 1:21:08.429 | 25 |
| 2 | George Russell | Mercedes | 50 | +23.546s | 18 |
| 3 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 50 | +30.488s | 15 |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 50 | +30.678s | 12 |
| 5 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 50 | +34.924s | 10 |
| 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | 50 | +45.257s | 8 |
| 7 | Nico Hülkenberg | Kick Sauber | 50 | +51.134s | 6 |
| 8 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 50 | +59.369s | 4 |
| 9 | Esteban Ocon | Haas F1 Team | 50 | +60.635s | 2 |
| 10 | Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team | 50 | +70.549s | 1 |
| 11 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 50 | +85.308s | 0 |
| 12 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing | 50 | +86.974s | 0 |
| 13 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 50 | +91.702s | 0 |
| 14 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 49 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 15 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 49 | +1 lap | 0 |
| NC | Alexander Albon | Williams | 35 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber | 2 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| DSQ | Lando Norris | McLaren | — | Disqualified | 0 |
| DSQ | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | — | Disqualified | 0 |
Conclusion
The 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix will be remembered as one of the season’s most pivotal chapters. Verstappen’s flawless victory cut Lando Norris’s championship lead to just 24 points, transforming the final two rounds into a genuine showdown rather than a cruise to the finish. Mercedes capitalized masterfully with a double podium, Haas celebrated a rare double-points finish, and Ferrari leaves with mixed emotions after Leclerc’s strong P4 contrasted with Hamilton’s bruising weekend.
For McLaren, the night was catastrophic. Two disqualifications — both tied to a strict technical regulation — erased what could have been a stabilizing result heading into the final stretch of the season. Instead, the title battle tightens, momentum shifts, and both championships remain wide-open with only Qatar and Abu Dhabi remaining.
Secure your next unforgettable Grand Prix weekend today.
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