Las Vegas Grand Prix 2025 - Race Schedule and Countdown

Max Verstappen claimed a dominant victory at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, but the race will be remembered for the dramatic post-race disqualifications that rewrote the championship battle. While Verstappen controlled the 50-lap race under the neon lights of the Strip, the story exploded four hours after the checkered flag when both McLarens were excluded for excessive skid block wear. Lando Norris, who had crossed the line second, and Oscar Piastri, who finished fourth, were both disqualified when scrutineering revealed their plank thickness measured less than the mandated 9mm minimum. The controversial ruling promoted George Russell to second and rookie sensation Kimi Antonelli to a maiden podium in third, while dramatically tightening the championship fight with just two rounds remaining.

Qualifying had unfolded in treacherous wet conditions, with Norris delivering a masterclass to claim pole position with a time of 1:47.934, nearly three-tenths faster than Verstappen. The McLaren driver's third consecutive pole came despite a significant snap of oversteer at Turn 14 on his final flying lap. Rain throughout the session caught out several drivers, most notably Lewis Hamilton, who suffered a shocking Q1 elimination following miscommunication with his race engineer and a collision with a bollard at Turn 14, relegating the seven-time champion to P20 on the grid. George Russell had dominated Q1 and Q2 but encountered power steering issues at the start of Q3, while Piastri's title challenge took a hit when he could only manage fifth, compromised on his final lap by Liam Lawson.

The race narrative shifted dramatically at the start when Norris, despite securing pole, chopped across Verstappen into Turn 1 while carrying too much speed and ran wide, allowing both Verstappen and Russell through and dropping to third. Verstappen settled into an unshakeable rhythm, managing a straightforward medium-to-hard one-stop strategy that nobody could challenge. A Virtual Safety Car on Lap 3 for debris triggered early stops for several drivers including Antonelli, whose gamble on the early pit stop and subsequent brilliant overtaking would prove crucial to his podium finish. The midfield erupted with chaos as Gasly spun, Lawson tagged Piastri, Albon clipped Hamilton, and Stroll and Bortoleto collided with both retiring, the latter earning a five-place grid penalty for Qatar. Verstappen's decisive pit stop on Lap 26 maintained his advantage over Russell, while Antonelli's aggressive drive saw him carve through the field. The post-race disqualification drama centered on plank wear violations, with the FIA stewards noting the breach was unintentional but that regulations left no option but exclusion. Norris's car breached the minimum by 0.12mm while Piastri's exceeded the limit by 0.26mm. The ruling promoted Charles Leclerc to fourth, Carlos Sainz Jr. to fifth, and gifted Haas valuable points as Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman claimed ninth and tenth. The disqualifications slashed Norris's championship lead from what would have been 42 points to just 24 over both Verstappen and Piastri, who now sit tied on 366 points to Norris's 390, setting up a thrilling finale at the Qatar sprint weekend and Abu Dhabi season closer.