Max Emilian Verstappen didn’t just win the Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 22, 2025—he rewrote its history. Driving for Oracle Red Bull Racing, the Dutch driver crossed the line 20.741 seconds ahead of second place, the largest winning margin ever recorded on the Las Vegas Strip. But the real story wasn’t his dominance—it was the chaos behind him. Both McLaren drivers, championship leader Lando Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri, were disqualified post-race for a technical infringement, instantly turning Verstappen’s victory into a seismic shift in the 2025 Formula One title race.
How the Race Unfolded
It started with a mistake. Pole-sitter Norris, who’d claimed his seventh pole of the season—and third in a row—overcooked Turn 1 on the opening lap. Verstappen, starting second, didn’t hesitate. He swept past, never looked back, and built a lead that grew like a snowball rolling downhill. By lap 10, he was already 5 seconds ahead. By lap 30, it was 12. By the final lap, the gap was nearly 21 seconds. Meanwhile, the rest of the field scrambled. Lewis Hamilton, starting from the back for the second time this season, ran a hard-tire strategy that paid off with a gritty 10th-place finish, snatching the final championship point. Charles Leclerc charged from ninth to sixth; Carlos Sainz held steady for seventh. Nico Hulkenberg, also on hard tires, finished eighth, a quiet masterclass in tire management.
But the real drama was in the margins. Pierre Gasly spun at Turn 1 on the opening lap, his Alpine facing the wrong way. Liam Lawson damaged his car on Lap 2, forcing a pit stop. Alex Albon retired after clipping Hamilton’s Ferrari. Three drivers—Gabriel Bortoleto, Lance Stroll, and Albon—were out by Lap 5. The race wasn’t just fast; it was brutal.
The Disqualification That Changed Everything
When the checkered flag fell, McLaren celebrated. Norris had led 37 of 50 laps. Piastri had finished second. Team principal Andrea Stella was already drafting a press release. Then came the stewards’ announcement: both cars were disqualified for an irregularity in the floor’s flexing measurements under load. The FIA’s technical regulations are notoriously precise—this wasn’t a minor issue. It was a violation of Article 3.15, which governs aerodynamic compliance under dynamic conditions. The team had pushed the limits for weeks, and on the high-downforce, high-speed Strip, the floor had flexed just enough to cross the line.
"We believed we were within the limits," Norris said afterward, his voice flat. "But the FIA’s data shows otherwise. It’s devastating. We had the car to win this championship. Now we’re back to square one."
The disqualification didn’t just cost Norris the win—it cost him 25 championship points. Piastri lost 18. McLaren’s lead in the constructors’ standings, once a comfortable 42 points, now shrank to just 11 over Red Bull. With three races left, the title battle had turned into a knife fight.
Verstappen’s Quiet Revolution
Verstappen didn’t celebrate wildly. He didn’t leap from his car. He just sat there, helmet off, staring at the timing screen. This was his 125th podium in 231 starts. His eighth win in the U.S.—four in Austin, two in Miami, now two in Las Vegas. His eighth consecutive podium in 2025, the third-longest streak of his career. And yet, he’s still called the "outsider" for the title.
Why? Because he started the season 77 points behind Norris. Because he’s never won a championship after trailing by that much with so few races left. Because his team, despite their dominance, has struggled with reliability this year—three DNFs compared to McLaren’s one. But now? The math changed. He’s 38 points behind Norris, not 63. He’s got momentum. He’s got the car. And he’s got the confidence that comes from winning by 20 seconds on a track that’s supposed to favor overtaking.
"It’s not about being the favorite," Verstappen said. "It’s about being the one who keeps going when everyone else falls."
What This Means for the Rest of the Season
With three races remaining—Mexico City, São Paulo, and Abu Dhabi—the championship is now a three-way fight. Verstappen, Norris, and Leclerc (who’s now 52 points behind Norris) are all still mathematically in it. But McLaren’s credibility is shaken. Red Bull’s reliability issues are now secondary to their pace. Ferrari, meanwhile, looks more like a contender than a pretender.
Hamilton’s 10th-place finish wasn’t just a point—it was a statement. At 39, he’s racing like a man with nothing to lose. And in a season defined by young stars—Bortoleto, Bearman, Lawson, Colapinto—it was the veteran who quietly reminded everyone that experience still matters.
The Las Vegas Grand Prix was supposed to be Norris’s coronation. Instead, it became Verstappen’s statement. And maybe, just maybe, the turning point of the 2025 season.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why were Norris and Piastri disqualified?
Both McLaren cars were found to have floor flexing that exceeded FIA limits under aerodynamic load, violating Article 3.15 of the technical regulations. The infringement was detected through post-race telemetry and laser scans of the underbody. It’s the same rule that penalized Red Bull in 2023—but this time, it hit McLaren, whose car had been consistently faster in high-downforce corners.
How does this affect the 2025 drivers’ championship standings?
Before the disqualification, Norris led Verstappen by 63 points. Afterward, the gap shrank to 38. Verstappen gains 25 points by default, while Norris drops from 1st to 3rd in the standings. Leclerc moves into second, just 11 points behind Norris. With only three races left, every point is now critical—and Verstappen has momentum, not just points.
Is this the biggest upset in Formula One history?
Not quite—but it’s among the most consequential. In 2008, Hamilton won the title by one point after a controversial safety car. In 2021, Verstappen and Hamilton collided in Abu Dhabi. But here, the championship leader loses 25 points due to a technical breach, while his rival gains them by default. The scale of the swing—77 points in one race—is unprecedented in modern F1.
What does this mean for McLaren’s season?
McLaren’s dominance was built on speed and consistency. Now, their reliability and regulatory compliance are under intense scrutiny. The team faces potential penalties in the next race if the FIA deems the infringement intentional. More importantly, driver morale is shaken. Norris, who was poised to become the first British champion since Hamilton, now has to fight just to stay in contention.
Can Verstappen still win the title?
Yes—but it’s not easy. He needs to win two of the remaining three races and hope Norris finishes no better than fourth in each. He also needs Leclerc to score consistently, to split the points between McLaren and Ferrari. Verstappen’s car is fast, his team is focused, and his streak of eight straight podiums shows he’s peaking at the right time. The odds are long, but in F1, they’re never impossible.
Why did Lewis Hamilton finish 10th after starting last?
Hamilton ran a two-stop strategy on hard tires, sacrificing pace early to avoid traffic and conserve brakes on the abrasive Strip surface. He gained positions as others pitted or crashed, and his tire management allowed him to overtake slower cars in the final stint. It was a calculated gamble—and it paid off with the final point. For a driver with no title hopes left, it was a statement of professionalism.
