Lando Norris lost the lead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix after an aggressive attempt to block Max Verstappen at the first corner, which resulted in Norris running wide and Verstappen seizing the advantage. Norris never reclaimed the lead and ultimately crossed the finish line second, nearly 20 seconds behind Verstappen, who dominated all 50 laps on the Las Vegas Strip.
However, post-race inspections revealed that both Norris’ and Oscar Piastri’s McLarens failed scrutineering due to the plank assembly’s thickness being below the minimum requirement. This infraction led to both drivers’ disqualification, relegating Norris to 19th and Piastri to 20th in the official results.
The FIA announced the investigation hours after the race and confirmed the disqualifications after further inspection. As a result, George Russell was promoted to second and Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli to third.
The disqualifications significantly tightened the drivers’ championship standings. Norris, who had been leading, remains on 390 points, but Verstappen and Piastri are now tied for second with 366 points, with only two races and a maximum of 60 points remaining. Verstappen, who had appeared out of the title race, is now within striking distance for a fifth consecutive drivers’ championship.
Verstappen’s win was his 69th career victory and 125th podium. Reflecting on the race and season, Verstappen highlighted the team’s progress and resilience despite a challenging year and midseason changes, including the replacement of longtime Red Bull team principal Christian Horner with Laurent Mekies.
Norris, who started on pole, explained after the race that he experienced some issues with his car, which led to a drop in performance and required him to back off in the closing laps, even before the disqualification was announced.
Mercedes’ strong showing helped the team maintain a 40-point lead over Red Bull for second in the constructors’ standings, while McLaren, despite the setback, had already secured the constructors’ championship earlier in the season. The championship battle remains intense heading into the final rounds, with Verstappen’s late-season surge putting him back in contention for the title.