After an eventful qualifying round, the Las Vegas Grand Prix seemed to shake out mostly as expected. Max Verstappen took home the win, with Lando Norris finishing P2, aiding his likely bid for an F1 Drivers’ Championship.
However, post-race checks would turn this successful weekend into a total nightmare for the McLaren F1 team. Both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who finished in P4, were found in violation of the minimum 9mm skid thickness and were disqualified, earning no points.
McLaren released a statement shortly after the decision was finalized, with team principal Andrea Stella stating:
“We apologise to Lando and Oscar for the loss of points today, at a critical time in their Championship campaigns after two strong performances from them all weekend. As a team, we also apologise to our partners and fans, whose support means so much.
“While this outcome is extremely disappointing, we remain fully focused on the last two races of the season.”
This news has shaken up the F1 Drivers’ Championship standings dramatically. Here is where things stand after the weekend in Las Vegas:
| Driver | Pre-Weekend Total | Las Vegas GP Points | Total |
| Lando Norris | 390 | Disqualified | 390 |
| Oscar Piastri | 366 | Disqualified | 366 |
| Max Verstappen | 341 | +25 | 366 |
The double disqualification was massive for Verstappen’s Championship hopes, who is now tied for second in the standings with Oscar Piastri. Despite the odds still stacked against him, the outcome of the Las Vegas GP was an absolutely best-case scenario for the Red Bull Racing driver.
Two crucial race weekends ahead
With only two more races before the end of the season, McLaren needs to shake it off and regroup. While a Verstappen F1 Drivers’ Championship is still unlikely, neither Norris nor Piastri want to see him gain any more momentum than he already has.
Still, Verstappen would need to win both remaining races and the sprint race in Qatar, while limiting Norris to P4, and Piastri to P2 or lower in all remaining races.
Piastri’s disastrous outcome following the Las Vegas GP is softened somewhat by his teammate also earning no points for the weekend’s effort. Regardless, Piastri needs to capitalize on any opportunity possible for points, and his championship hopes remain in dire straits after two very tough race weekends in a row.
Lando Norris remains at the top of the Driver’s Championship standings, and the math is in his favour. If he can gain just 2 points over both Verstappen and Piastri at the Qatar Grand Prix, the championship should be his. Failing to do that will force the title fight to the final race weekend of the season in Abu Dhabi.
While it still seems unlikely for anyone but Lando Norris to win the championship, as we saw in Las Vegas this weekend, anything is possible, and the fight is far from over.
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