Max Verstappen, starting second, took charge immediately at Las Vegas, passing pole sitter Lando Norris in Turn 1, and never looking back, easily winning the Heineken Las Vegas Grand Prix on Saturday (November 22nd). The subpar race starts for the McLarens of Norris and Oscar Piastri got much worse when both cars were disqualified after the race for illegal plank wear, negating Norris’ second and Piastri’s fourth-place finishes. Verstappen’s win and the McLaren disaster vaulted the Dutchman right back into the championship battle, where he trails Norris by only 24 points and now sits tied with Piastri.
BREAKING: Both McLaren cars of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have been disqualified from the Las Vegas Grand Prix
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 23, 2025
This is because the thickness of the rearmost skid of both cars was less than the required thickness#F1 #LasVegasGP pic.twitter.com/gOplpgDHl7
Mercedes’ George Russell, who hounded Verstappen briefly early in the race, was elevated to second, while teammate Kimi Antonelli overcame a five-second penalty to take third.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc rebounded from a horrendous Ferrari qualifying day on Friday (November 21st) to finish fourth. Williams’ Carlo Sainz was fifth, Racing Bulls rookie Isaak Hadjar took sixth, with Sauber’s Nico Hülkenberg finishing seventh. Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton started last and finished eighth, Haas Racing’s Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman finished ninth and 10th, respectively.
“In the race, I think everyone was just trying to find a rhythm and see how much you could push, especially in the first stint, because being on the more fragile tyre,” said Verstappen.
“It worked really well, normally the race is always a tough one for us – we are normally not that great on tyres, but today it seemed like we had that a little bit more under control and I could push a little bit more and that unlocked a bit more pace.
“I could stay out a bit longer and split basically the race in half. It definitely helped a lot, and the car was working pretty well, much more to my liking, and it was at the end quite a decent gap. It was just every lap feeling comfortable and not taking too much out of the tyre.”
In the driver standings, Norris leads both Verstappen and Piastri by 24 points, 390 to 366.
How the Drivers' Championship looks as we depart Las Vegas… 👀
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 23, 2025
It's got a lot closer at the top, with Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen now LEVEL on points! ⬇️#F1 #LasVegasGP pic.twitter.com/3a4LJBGCRG
In the constructors standings, McLaren went scoreless, but as opposed to the drivers standings, it was barely noticeable in the constructors standings, where McLaren leads Mercedes 756 to 431. Red Bull is third with 391 points.
The Race
Norris was too bold in covering Verstappen at lights out and pushed too deep into Turn 1, surrendering the lead to the Red Bull and second place to Russell. Piastri lost two spots to seventh, while Hamilton picked up six spots to 13th. Lance Stroll and Gabriel Bortoleto made contact and both were quietly eliminated from the race.
It's a DRAMATIC first corner in Las Vegas 😱
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 23, 2025
Here's how the race start unfolded! 👀⬇️#F1 #LasVegasGP pic.twitter.com/MbO09PnqwI
Liam Lawson’s damaged car brought out a virtual safety car as the Racing Bull’s front wing dragged the surface. Lawson banged into Piastri at the start, and the incident went to the stewards to investigate, and eventually, no penal action was taken.
Gabi into Lance and Pierre! 💥
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 23, 2025
Here's the contact further down the pack at the first corner 😳#F1 #LasVegasGP pic.twitter.com/pD0y61XNkH
Russell was on the charge hunting Verstappen in the lead, and was in DRS range on lap 6. Norris was content to sit back a bit and contemplate not making further mistakes for the duration of the race.
Verstappen picked up the pace and put some distance to Russell, while Norris slowly started creeping towards Russell. Russell began to complain of steering issues, an issue he dealt with in qualifying.
Russell pitted on lap 18 for a set of hard tires and emerged in seventh. Norris now had clean air, which helped in his pursuit of Verstappen, but Norris admitted the Red Bull was “miles better.” If Norris held his position, he would be pleased to lose only seven points to Verstappen while gaining on Piastri, his closest pursuer in the championship battle.
On lap 22, the order was Verstappen, Norris, Sainz, Leclerc, Piastri, Russell, Hulkenberg, Hamilton, Ocon, and Antonelli.
Norris pitted on lap 23 for hard tires and came out in fourth, behind Russell. With Verstappen too far ahead, Norris’ goal now was second, and he would have to eventually overtake Russell. According to McLaren strategists, that would be most likely towards the end of the race, and Norris was advised to be patient.
Verstappen pitted on lap 25 and came out just ahead of Russell, and the Red Bull quickly extended his lead. Verstappen was well on his way to claiming the victory and stoking a little more hope for his championship aspirations.
On lap 29, Hamilton ran fifth and pitted a lap later for medium tires, hoping to stretch them until the end of the race.
Up front, Verstappen was cruising, and Norris was charging, with his sights on Russell. Assuming he could quickly overtake Russell, McLaren felt confident Norris could make a run on Verstappen.
Norris blasted by the Mercedes on lap 35, and the tall task ahead of him was Verstappen with a five-second lead. Verstappen was told that Norris was “coming after him,” and the Dutchman immediately set the fastest lap, serving notice to anyone listening that the Red Bull would not be caught. That was probably enough to let Norris know that he should be happy with second.
This is the move which saw Norris fly past Russell for P2! 💨✈️#F1 #LasVegasGP pic.twitter.com/F5iqytWdfq
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 23, 2025
With the podium positions likely locked up, Piastri was desperate to get by Antonelli for fourth, while at the same time monitoring the hard-charging Ferrari of Leclerc behind him. Antonelli was sitting on a five-second penalty, so the young Italian was likely holding off Piastri and Leclerc for Russell’s sake more so than his own.
With Verstappen on his way to the win, Norris slowed dramatically in the closing lap, losing massive amounts of time to Norris. Early indications pointed to a fuel issue, but Norris was able to nurse his car to the finish ahead of Russell.
Verstappen took the checkered flag with a dominant 20-second margin over Norris, with Russell closing fast but coming up just short in his pursuit of Norris.
This is what it means for Max and Red Bull 🥰✨#F1 #LasVegasGP pic.twitter.com/8U0BTs2LK3
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 23, 2025
Hours later, stewards announced that the wear on the planks of the two McLarens exceeded the permitted limit, and Norris and Piastri were disqualified.
The Bad
McLaren’s disqualification was brutal for Norris, who, while he couldn’t cash in a pole start for a race win, did well to finish second and distance himself from Piastri, though he surrendered a bit of ground to Verstappen. Norris finished the race thinking he had a 30-point lead over Piastri and a 42-point cushion over Verstappen. A few hours later, after DQ’s, Norris’ lead was just 24 over both drivers.
What made it more brutal for Norris was the margin by which his plank was out of compliance. Norris’ plank was .07 millimeters out of compliance at one measuring point. For the metrically-challenged, that’s .0027 inches. In layman’s terms, it’s about the width of one of Michael Masi’s hairs, give or take a few ten-thousandths of a millimeter or inch.
Why in the name of manufactured, dramatic, and made-for-TV-and-Netflix finishes to F1 seasons would I bring up the name of Michael Masi? I didn’t even realize I did, but now that I have, no one can tell me that F1 is not thrilled that the race for the world championship is much tighter than it was before McLaren disqualifications.
Sure, Ferrari had decent results in Las Vegas, with Leclerc finishing fourth and Hamilton eighth. But Saturday’s qualifying effort left many asking, “Is Ferrari in total disarray?” I know, dumb question.
Just a few weeks after Ferrari president John Elkann basically told Hamilton and Leclerc to stop whining, the Ferrari duo struggled mightily in a wet Vegas qualifying, with Leclerc qualifying 16th and Hamilton finishing a nearly inconceivable last. Did Elkann have a point? He did. Is it his place to make those points? No, it is not.
With Ferrari, it starts at the top. Elkann should never criticize drivers under any circumstances. He should know his role, which is manipulating Ferrari’s stock to maximize stockholder benefit, and shut his mouth about all things racing.
It’s hard to believe that Ferrari’s troubles are due to driver performance/effort/errors as Elkann insinuated when he said, after the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, that Ferrari’s drivers were “not up to par.”
Now, are Leclerc and Hamilton faultless? Of course not. Leclerc could start by offering constructive feedback on his car’s performance, with the caveat that he uses zero words that start with “F.”
Hamilton has won seven world championships. He obviously knows what it takes to win in F1. I’m assuming there are no holdovers on the team from Kimi Räikkönen’s 2007 championship with Ferrari, the last time Ferrari won the drivers title. So Hamilton may be the only one at Ferrari who knows what it takes.
And Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has been oddly quiet about Ferrari’s struggles. If Leclerc and Hamilton do, in fact, need an attitude adjustment, said adjustment coming from Vasseur would be more acceptable than it coming from some pencil pusher in the Ferrari ivory tower.
The Good
Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli struggled in Friday’s (November 21st) qualifying and started the race in 17th. Antonelli was one of the few drivers who started on soft tires, hoping to make up ground early.
But Antonelli jumped the start and was slapped with a five-second penalty. Needing a boost, Antonelli switched to hard tires during a VSC on lap and worked those tires to perfection, holding off Piastri and Leclerc on the track late, although Antonelli’s penalty gave fourth to Piastri before the McLaren DQs elevated Antonelli to the podium.
Kimi Antonelli received a five-second penalty for a false start in Las Vegas 👀
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 23, 2025
His Mercedes edged forward just enough to earn him the penalty ⬇️#F1 #LasVegasGP pic.twitter.com/mTuCWw1LTj
After having his curly locks tousled by Toto Wolff, Antonelli thanked Lance Stroll and Gabriel Bortoleto for crashing into each other on the first lap, and offered a special shout-out to the strict and unforgiving F1 technical regulations.
With the bad comes the good, and while Las Vegas was a disaster for Norris, he still has a significant 24-point lead over Verstappen and Piastri. While the pressure may be on Norris because of the Las Vegas DQ, he’s not under pressure to win the remaining two races. If Norris finishes on the podium in the final two races (Qatar and Abu Dhabi), he’s in all likelihood to be world champion regardless of what Verstappen and Piastri do. In the meantime, I’m sure Norris insists that no one make any “planking” or Dairy Queen references this week.
The circumstances that unfolded in Las Vegas also make the upcoming sprint race in Qatar on November 29th the most important sprint race in the history of F1. The winner of the sprint race (assuming it is Norris, Verstappen, or Piastri) would take crucial momentum into the grand prix the following day. With a sprint win, Norris would add to his lead. A sprint win by Verstappen or Piastri would shrink Norris’ lead.
Nothing beats a post-race victory ride in a Lego pink Cadillac driven by actor and world-class pec-popper Terry Crews. Yes, you did hear a series of words you’ve never ever heard before: “a Lego pink Cadillac driven by Terry Crews.” And enjoy it, because you’ll likely never hear it again.
Max kicks off the singing with Terry Crews! 🤣🎶#F1 #LasVegasGP pic.twitter.com/dkPeKxA5mJ
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 23, 2025
Grid Walk Moments
Director of Homeland Security Kristi Noem was in Las Vegas, and surprisingly, felt safe enough on the grid to leave her bedazzled bulletproof vest at home. Noem stood beside F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali for the singing of the national anthem, and according to her right hand, she does have a heart.
Uhh… Kristi Noem, the Secretary of Homeland Security, stood next to F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali during the national anthem before the Las Vegas Grand Prix. pic.twitter.com/GVBiZpytZ1
— Ryan Erik King (@RyanErikKing) November 23, 2025
The Driver
Going into Las Vegas, Verstappen knew his only chances to win his fifth world championship would be to win the remaining three races and hope that trouble found McLaren. Done and done.
The Red Bull ace was two for two, as Verstappen easily won in Vegas, and trouble did find McLaren in a very big way. Verstappen is a master at applying pressure, as was the case at the start in Vegas, where Verstappen’s mere presence behind forced Norris into an error.
Verstappen’s pressure campaign will continue, and you can be sure an already aggressive Verstappen will be even more aggressive, knowing he has nothing to lose and everything to gain. Norris, on the other hand, has everything to lose as well as everything to win.
The Results (Heineken Las Vegas Grand Prix, Las Vegas Street Circuit)
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Laps | Time / Retired | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 |  Max Verstappen |  Red Bull Racing | 50 | 1:21:08.429 | 25 |
| 2 | 63 |  George Russell |  Mercedes | 50 | +23.546s | 18 |
| 3 | 12 |  Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 50 | +30.488s | 15 |
| 4 | 16 |  Charles Leclerc |  Ferrari | 50 | +30.678s | 12 |
| 5 | 55 |  Carlos Sainz |  Williams | 50 | +34.924s | 10 |
| 6 | 6 |  Isack Hadjar |  Racing Bulls | 50 | +45.257s | 8 |
| 7 | 27 |  Nico Hulkenberg |  Kick Sauber | 50 | +51.134s | 6 |
| 8 | 44 |  Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 50 | +59.369s | 4 |
| 9 | 31 |  Esteban Ocon |  Haas F1 Team | 50 | +60.635s | 2 |
| 10 | 87 |  Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team | 50 | +70.549s | 1 |
| 11 | 14 |  Fernando Alonso |  Aston Martin | 50 | +85.308s | 0 |
| 12 | 22 |  Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing | 50 | +86.974s | 0 |
| 13 | 10 |  Pierre Gasly |  Alpine | 50 | +91.702s | 0 |
| 14 | 30 |  Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 49 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 15 | 43 |  Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 49 | +1 lap | 0 |
| NC | 23 |  Alexander Albon | Williams | 35 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 5 |  Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber | 2 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 18 |  Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| DQ | 4 |  Lando Norris |  McLaren | DSQ | 0 | |
| DQ | 81 |  Oscar Piastri | McLaren | DSQ | 0 |
It’s almost as though McLaren is doing everything they can to keep Verstappen in the title hunt.
I’d love to know what decisions along the way resulted in this gaffe. McLaren already has the constructors title. I can’t imagine an extra 1/4″ in ride height would have resulted in them not finishing in the top ten, and likely the top five, thereby having two drivers ahead of Verstappen with two races to go. One driver (Norris) would have had well more than a full race lead in points.
Now, one mistake or accident by Norris could easily result in Verstappen either pulling level, or thanks to the Sprint race at Qatar, taking a lead into the final race. McLaren will also have to be careful with strategy between their drivers, as Piastri will be every bit as motivated as Verstappen to chase the title. Meanwhile, Red Bull only has to worry about one car, with no team dynamics in play. I’ll definitely be tuned in the next two races!
I agree with all your points. All, and I mean all, of the pressure is on McLaren. And they’ve proven time and again they don’t respond very well to it.
Speaking for the metrically challenged of the world, I think you should check your math there. Point remains valid though.
Thanks for the heads up! Corrected it. I am metrically, mathematically, and just generally challenged.
You know people come on this site to read about racing. Not sure why you felt it necessary to get political and take uninformed pot shots at government officials you obviously don’t like. Do better!
Steve, I agree that Frontstretch is not the place for this.
I know you and I have bitterly disagreed about a certain driver in the past, and I’ve mentioned I felt his treatment has been political, but I’ve done this in response to others, not as a random point. To your credit, you also replied in kind, rather than being the one who started those discussions. Though both of us will defend what we think is right, both of us also prefer not to have need to in the first place. Especially on a site dedicated to something which should generally be fun to consume.
While I don’t think the comment in the article was at all off the mark or uninformed, I completely agree this is not the venue for this sort of commentary. We all have to think about politics enough as it is, without it bleeding into the sport we enjoy.
This is essentially the flip of the coin to Frontstretch hosting an article calling C. Bell “brave” for dedicating a win to Charlie Kirk. That’s Bell’s right, and I respect his right, but I don’t need to hear about it on a site dedicated to racing. If I want to know driver or organizational political views, and read commentary about it, I can look elsewhere.
In a world where nearly EVERYTHING is politicized, Frontstretch is usually a refuge from the noise. I enjoy all the writers here, and I hope they refrain from political editorializing in the future.