Formula 1 returned to the neon heartbeat of Nevada as the 2025 F1 World Championship entered its most critical phase, and Las Vegas once again became the track where title hopes could ignite—or vanish in the desert night. The Strip, transformed into a high-speed theatre, its marquees and casinos framing a circuit that demands precision, bravery, and a touch of showmanship. With the championship fight still unresolved, every lap under the Vegas glow would feel heavier, every strategy call more dangerous, and every overtake more consequential.
This year, the Las Vegas Grand Prix served as the launch point of a pressure-packed triple-header that would ultimately crown the 2025 world champion. Once the chequered flag fell on the Strip, the paddock would head straight into the rising heat of the Middle East, where Qatar and Abu Dhabi would deliver the final judgments of the campaign. Three races, three wildly different circuits, and a championship battle balanced on a knife-edge—Las Vegas was merely the opening gamble, but it’s one no driver could afford to lose.
Race Guide
Season: 2025 F1 World Championship
Race weekend: 20 November 2025 – 22 November 2025
Race date: Sunday, 22 November 2025
Race start time: 20:00 local time
Circuit: Las Vegas Strip Circuit
Laps: 50
Circuit length: 6.201km
2024 winner: George Russell
| Pole position | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Driver | Lando Norris | McLaren | |
| Time | 1:47.934 | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | |
| Time | 1:33.365 on lap 50 | ||
| Podium | |||
| First | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | |
| Second | George Russell | Mercedes | |
| Third | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | |
2 – Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri finished second and fourth, respectively, but were disqualified for excessive plank wear
Built as a statement of intent to put Grand Prix racing at the very core of Las Vegas’ global spectacle, the Las Vegas Strip Circuit is one of Formula 1’s most ambitious modern creations. The 3.8-mile layout fuses iconic landmarks with high-speed straights, threading past the Venetian, sweeping alongside the Bellagio’s fountains, and gliding beneath the neon glow of the Paris Las Vegas Eiffel Tower. Its signature feature—a 1.2-mile full-throttle launch down the Strip—turns the race into a slipstreaming showdown, while all 17 corners demand a careful balance of mechanical grip and aerodynamic efficiency.
In 2024, George Russell’s pole lap averaged an astonishing 150mph, confirming Vegas as F1’s second-fastest street circuit, and its first two editions building a reputation for bold overtakes, dramatic pacing swings, and strategic unpredictability.
The 2025 weekend, set to unfold under familiar late-November conditions, with the Mojave Desert once again offering cool and crisp race nights. Daytime temperatures hover in the mid-to-high teens Celsius, before dipping toward single figures once darkness settles over the Strip. Although qualifying and the Grand Prix started two hours earlier than in 2024—offering slightly warmer asphalt and more stable tyre behaviour—the track would still test teams with rapid cooling and evolving grip. The forecast showed no signs of rain, meaning the spectacle would remain focused on speed and the unique challenge of racing under the Vegas lights.
Las Vegas Strip stats
The 2025 event was the third running of the Las Vegas Grand Prix on the Strip and the fifth time Formula 1 has visited the world’s most famous playground. Long before today’s neon-lit spectacle, F1 first touched down in Vegas in 1981 and 1982, racing on a temporary circuit carved into the Caesars Palace parking lot—a stark contrast to the purpose-built grandeur of the modern Strip layout. After a four-decade absence, the sport returned in 2023 with the debut of the Las Vegas Strip Circuit, where Max Verstappen captured the inaugural win in a chaotic, high-drama race that immediately cemented the venue as a must-watch addition to the calendar.
One year later, George Russell delivered a dominant performance for Mercedes, converting pole position into victory and showcasing just how quick the circuit can be when conditions align. With two editions already producing wildly different storylines—a title contender’s triumph in 2023 and a Mercedes resurgence in 2024—the statistical backdrop for 2025 hinted at a track still revealing its identity.
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 20 November 2025 | Free Practice 1 (FP1) | 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm local time |
| 20 November 2025 | Free Practice 2 (FP2) | 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm local time |
| 21 November 2025 | Free Practice 3 (FP3) | 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm local time |
| 21 November 2025 | Qualifying | 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm local time |
| 22 November 2025 | Race | 8:00 pm local time |
In Saturday qualifying, Lando Norris mastered treacherous wet conditions to take pole for the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix with a 1:47.934, securing his third straight pole ahead of Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz. George Russell topped Q1 and Q2 before slipping to fourth, while Oscar Piastri took fifth after a late off. Alex Albon crashed out in Q1, and Lewis Hamilton ended a frustrating qualifying in last place.
In Sunday’s race, Max Verstappen stormed to victory in the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix, overtaking Lando Norris into Turn 1 from the start and controlling the race from the front to win by 20.741s, while George Russell completed the podium after Norris and Oscar Piastri had originally crossed the line second and fourth. However, just when the papaya party looked set to continue, post-race scrutineering revealed insufficient rearmost skid thickness on both McLarens, leading to both cars being disqualified and removed from the classification. Russell inherited P2, Kimi Antonelli was promoted to the podium in P3, and the championship picture tightened dramatically heading into the final two rounds of the season.
Championship background
Lando Norris arrived in Nevada carrying the momentum of a champion-in-waiting; his back-to-back wins at the last two rounds had carved out a 24-point cushion over McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri. After a season defined by consistency, confidence, and a maturing racecraft, Norris had become the clear favourite to capture the Drivers’ crown—but the Championship was far from sealed. With 83 points still on the table, the Briton had been quick to remind everyone that titles aren’t won on form alone. And while no champion can be crowned under the Vegas lights, both Piastri and Max Verstappen faced weekends of enormous consequence. Piastri needed to stop a costly five-race podium drought, while Verstappen—now 49 points adrift after Interlagos—would need to prevent Norris from extending the gap by nine points or more if he wanted to keep even the slimmest mathematical hope alive heading into Qatar.
What made this chapter of the title fight even more unpredictable was the backdrop of recent form in Vegas. Neither McLaren nor Red Bull was comfortable around the Strip Circuit in 2024, opening the door for Mercedes to dominate in the cool Nevada air as George Russell and Lewis Hamilton delivered a commanding one-two. Ferrari, meanwhile, had thrived here with consecutive front-row starts and podiums, and they entered the weekend needing a statement response after slipping to fourth in the constructors’ standings in Brazil—pressure only intensified by chairman John Elkann’s pointed post-race remarks.
While the F1 title chase was guaranteed to roll on, one championship would be decided in Las Vegas: F1 Academy staged its season finale, with Mercedes’ Doriane Pin and Ferrari’s Maya Weug locked in a tight duel for the all-female series’ third crown. With Pin holding just a nine-point edge, the first official support series to race on the Vegas bill was poised to deliver its own high-stakes showdown under the city’s iconic glow.
Race entries
The lineup of drivers and teams remained the same as the 2025 season’s entry list, apart from:
- A driver swap at the sister teams, Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls, where Yuki Tsunoda moved up to the parent Red Bull team and Liam Lawson headed in the opposite direction back to Racing Bulls, for round three at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix.
- Jack Doohan stepping out of the race seat at Alpine (post Miami), beginning with the following round, the 2025 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. The team confirmed that former Williams and Alpine reserve driver, Franco Colapinto, would take his place alongside number one driver, Pierre Gasly.
Aside from these changes, all the drivers from the start of the season took to the track during FP1, FP2, FP3, Qualifying, and the Grand Prix.
Tyre choices
Pirelli once again selected the C3, C4, and C5 compounds for Las Vegas, the third straight year the softest trio in the standard range would take on the Strip Circuit. Despite the choice mirroring previous editions, the tyre dynamics in 2025 came with a new twist. The primary challenge remained the same—managing tyre temperatures on a track that cools rapidly after sunset—but this year’s slightly earlier session times would give drivers a touch more cooperation from the asphalt. Even so, the preparation lap before a qualifying flyer would remain absolutely pivotal. Getting the tyres into the narrow temperature window required for peak grip around Vegas’ long straights and slow-speed corners is a delicate art, and mistakes in preparation can derail an entire session. The good news for teams was that the 2025-spec tyres featured improved mechanical grip and reduced degradation, particularly on the medium compound, which suffered most noticeably in the 2024 season.
Pirelli resisted the temptation to go softer for 2025, wary of the persistent threat of graining in Vegas—a phenomenon present since the race’s debut and one that could significantly compromise the softest compound’s performance. In 2024, the strategy was shaped by the cool temperatures and minimal wear: nearly the entire grid opened on the medium tyre, with only Fernando Alonso opting for the soft, and Sergio Pérez, Valtteri Bottas, and pit-lane starter Franco Colapinto choosing the hard. With teams stockpiling two sets of the tougher compounds, the two-stop emerged as the clear favourite, allowing drivers to push aggressively rather than manage pace. Degradation was low, but early-stint graining on the mediums still played a role, a factor teams will be keen to mitigate with the improved 2025 rubber. 2025’s tyre choices should again encourage bold strategies and hard racing—provided teams could tame the challenge of Vegas’ ever-cooling desert nights.
FIND OUT MORE
Free Practice
Charles Leclerc topped FP1 at the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix with a 1:34.802, finishing ahead of Alex Albon and Yuki Tsunoda as several drivers explored the limits of a cold but clean Strip Circuit. Championship leader Lando Norris endured a difficult session—including a light brush with the wall—and neither McLaren threatened the top times, while Verstappen and Leclerc traded early blows before the Ferrari driver sealed P1 late on. The uninterrupted session provided valuable running as teams prepared for a more representative FP2.
Lando Norris led a disrupted FP2 in Las Vegas with a 1:33.602, narrowly ahead of Kimi Antonelli and Charles Leclerc, as two red flags for track repairs and damp early conditions restricted running. Leclerc’s session ended early with a gearbox issue, while several drivers—including Oscar Piastri—were unable to complete soft-tyre simulations before the session was stopped for good.
George Russell set the pace in a dramatically evolving FP3, going fastest with a 1:34.054 ahead of Max Verstappen and Alex Albon as the track dried late. With the entire field switching to softs in the final minutes, the order swung repeatedly, but both McLarens hit trouble, leaving Oscar Piastri and championship leader Lando Norris bottom of the standings heading into qualifying.
Full Free Practice Reports
Free Practice 1 Classification
FP1 of the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix was held on 20 November 2025 from 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm local time.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:34.802 | 29 |
| 2 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | +0.166s | 23 |
| 3 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing | +0.269s | 27 |
| 4 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | +0.307s | 24 |
| 5 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | +0.377s | 31 |
| 6 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +0.456s | 25 |
| 7 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | +0.497s | 30 |
| 8 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +0.648s | 27 |
| 9 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | +0.732s | 25 |
| 10 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +0.736s | 30 |
| 11 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +0.759s | 26 |
| 12 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +0.787s | 26 |
| 13 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +0.907s | 28 |
| 14 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +0.944s | 23 |
| 15 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +1.092s | 25 |
| 16 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team | +1.188s | 28 |
| 17 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas F1 Team | +1.321s | 30 |
| 18 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber | +1.368s | 25 |
| 19 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber | +1.596s | 25 |
| 20 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | +1.956s | 28 |
Free Practice 2 Classification
FP2 of the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix was held on 20 November 2025 from 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm local time.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:33.602 | 13 |
| 2 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +0.029s | 18 |
| 3 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +0.161s | 16 |
| 4 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber | +0.277s | 14 |
| 5 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | +0.291s | 16 |
| 6 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +0.299s | 16 |
| 7 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | +0.435s | 18 |
| 8 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | +0.465s | 17 |
| 9 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | +0.503s | 16 |
| 10 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +0.525s | 17 |
| 11 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +0.589s | 15 |
| 12 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +0.771s | 18 |
| 13 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | +0.833s | 16 |
| 14 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +0.891s | 12 |
| 15 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing | +1.090s | 16 |
| 16 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | +1.222s | 18 |
| 17 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team | +1.384s | 17 |
| 18 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +1.410s | 14 |
| 19 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas F1 Team | +1.626s | 18 |
| 20 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber | +1.897s | 15 |
Free Practice 3 Classification
FP3 of the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix was held on 21 November 2025 from 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm local time.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:34.054 | 21 |
| 2 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | +0.227s | 28 |
| 3 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | +0.821s | 21 |
| 4 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | +1.115s | 26 |
| 5 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +1.215s | 29 |
| 6 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +1.331s | 23 |
| 7 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +1.385s | 25 |
| 8 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +1.479s | 11 |
| 9 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +1.486s | 12 |
| 10 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +1.508s | 13 |
| 11 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team | +1.532s | 18 |
| 12 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | +1.608s | 22 |
| 13 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber | +1.684s | 16 |
| 14 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas F1 Team | +1.763s | 24 |
| 15 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +1.854s | 27 |
| 16 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | +2.251s | 17 |
| 17 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber | +2.596s | 11 |
| 18 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing | +2.613s | 24 |
| 19 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +2.969s | 20 |
| 20 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +3.058s | 18 |
Qualifying
Lando Norris claimed pole position with a 1:47.934, securing his third consecutive pole in a rain-soaked qualifying session. Norris led the field in the decisive Q3 shootout, finishing almost three-tenths clear of Max Verstappen, while Williams’ Carlos Sainz continued his impressive form by claiming third. George Russell, who had topped both Q1 and Q2, ultimately settled for fourth ahead of Oscar Piastri, who ran off at Turn 12 on his final attempt.
The session remained wet throughout, forcing the grid to navigate changing grip and treacherous standing water, with multiple drivers making mistakes. Liam Lawson and Fernando Alonso impressed in sixth and seventh, ahead of Hadjar and Charles Leclerc, who also ran deep at Turn 12. Pierre Gasly rounded out the top 10, with Nico Hülkenberg missing the cut for Q3 in 11th.
Q1 delivered the biggest drama: Alex Albon crashed into the Turn 16 barrier, breaking his suspension and eliminating him alongside Kimi Antonelli, Gabriel Bortoleto, Yuki Tsunoda, and a struggling Lewis Hamilton in P20.
Full Qualifying Report
Qualifying Classification
Qualifying for the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix was held on 21 November 2025 from 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm local time.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:55.473 | 1:51.379 | 1:47.934 | 25 |
| 2 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1:53.458 | 1:51.593 | 1:48.257 | 24 |
| 3 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1:54.873 | 1:51.144 | 1:48.296 | 24 |
| 4 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:53.144 | 1:50.935 | 1:48.803 | 25 |
| 5 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:54.544 | 1:52.126 | 1:48.961 | 23 |
| 6 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1:54.828 | 1:51.621 | 1:49.062 | 25 |
| 7 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:53.739 | 1:51.865 | 1:49.466 | 25 |
| 8 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | 1:55.613 | 1:51.120 | 1:49.554 | 25 |
| 9 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:54.814 | 1:51.952 | 1:49.872 | 24 |
| 10 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:54.432 | 1:51.760 | 1:51.540 | 25 |
| 11 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber | 1:54.555 | 1:52.781 | 18 | |
| 12 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:54.416 | 1:52.850 | 18 | |
| 13 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas F1 Team | 1:54.635 | 1:52.987 | 17 | |
| 14 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team | 1:56.016 | 1:53.094 | 17 | |
| 15 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 1:54.847 | 1:53.683 | 17 | |
| 16 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 1:56.220 | 8 | ||
| 17 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:56.314 | 8 | ||
| 18 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber | 1:56.674 | 9 | ||
| 19 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing | 1:56.798 | 9 | ||
| 20 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:57.115 | 9 |
2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix Starting Grid
The Grand Prix starting grid, with or without penalties, after the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix Qualifying session.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:47.934 |
| 2 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1:48.257 |
| 3 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1:48.296 |
| 4 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:48.803 |
| 5 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:48.961 |
| 6 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1:49.062 |
| 7 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:49.466 |
| 8 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | 1:49.554 |
| 9 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:49.872 |
| 10 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:51.540 |
| 11 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber | 1:52.781 |
| 12 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:52.850 |
| 13 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas F1 Team | 1:52.987 |
| 14 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team | 1:53.094 |
| 15 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 1:53.683 |
| 16 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 1:56.220 |
| 17 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:56.314 |
| 18 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber | 1:56.674 |
| 19 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:57.115 |
| Pitlane | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing | 1:56.798 |
What happened in the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix?
Max Verstappen delivered a decisive reminder of his championship pedigree under the Nevada neon, dominating the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix to keep his hopes alive in the Championship and dampen Lando Norris’ charge. Across a tense, strategic, and bruising 50 laps, the Red Bull driver took control immediately from the start, capitalising when pole-sitter Norris ran wide in Turn 1 after aggressively defending off the line. From there, Verstappen controlled the pace with clinical precision, pulling clear lap after lap to secure victory by a commanding 20.741s, trimming Norris’ championship advantage to 42 points with two rounds remaining.
Norris appeared set to limit the damage despite a bruising return to earth after Saturday’s pole heroics, falling to third on the opening lap and only recovering the place from George Russell late on before nursing a developing issue home in second. But just when the papaya party looked set to continue, scrutineering officials discovered excessive wear on the rearmost skid blocks of both MCL39s, falling short of the mandatory 9mm minimum thickness. After deliberation, the stewards disqualified both Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri from the results entirely—scrubbing Norris’ P2 and Piastri’s P4 from the official order. Russell was elevated to second, while Kimi Antonelli inherited a sensational P3 following a charge from P17, despite his own five-second penalty for a false start.
Piastri’s disqualification came after a gritty recovery drive that had originally seen him climb back to fourth following Turn 1 contact from Liam Lawson. The revised result kept the intra-McLaren fight as it was leaving Sao Paulo in the previous round before heading into Qatar and Abu Dhabi. Behind the reshuffled top three, Charles Leclerc was promoted to fourth after fading late, while Carlos Sainz drove a disciplined race to secure fifth for Williams ahead of Isack Hadjar, who banked more valuable points for Racing Bulls.
The final points went to Nico Hülkenberg in seventh, Lewis Hamilton in eighth, the Ferrari driver recovering from the back of the grid with a bruising hard-tyre opening stint, and Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman taking P9 and P10 after strong early pace, while Fernando Alonso slipped to 11th after running inside the points early. Tsunoda recovered from a pit-lane start to finish 12th ahead of Gasly, Lawson, and Franco Colapinto, the final classified runner in 15th.
Three cars failed to finish: Alex Albon retired after contact with Hamilton required repairs and ultimately finished his race, while Gabriel Bortoleto and Lance Stroll both retired after opening-lap clashes at Turn 1. Under the Strip’s shimmering lights, Verstappen re-ignited a title fight many thought extinguished—and with two races left, the championship rolled on with renewed ferocity.
Norris and Piastri thrown out of Las Vegas GP as McLaren cars fail post-race scrutiny
In the most Vegas twist imaginable, Lady Luck deserted McLaren long after the chequered flag, with both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri being chucked out of the Las Vegas Grand Prix classification following a technical inspection.
Just when the papaya party looked set to continue, scrutineering officials discovered that the rearmost skid wear on both MCL39s failed to meet FIA rules, falling short of the mandatory 9mm minimum thickness. The findings were escalated to the race stewards who — after due deliberation — scrubbed both cars from the official order. Norris had originally crossed the line in P2, with Piastri in P4.
And just like that, the championship mathematics were shaken up once again: race winner Max Verstappen bagged a huge windfall, drawing level on 366 points with Piastri. Norris remained ahead on 390, with just two rounds of the 2025 title fight left to go.
In their formal ruling, the stewards declared that the skid blocks on both cars were,
“measured and found to be below the minimum thickness of 9mm specified under Article 3.5.9 of the Technical Regulations.”
They continued:
“The rear skids were re-measured in the presence of the Stewards and the three McLaren representatives, and those measurements confirmed that the skids did not comply with the regulations. The relevant measurements were even lower than those measured originally by the Technical Delegate.”
McLaren argued that unusual performance-limiting factors should be considered — pointing to unexpected levels of porpoising unique to the Vegas weekend, severely diminished running due to the weather-struck first day, and curtailed practice time overall.
According to the stewards’ summary, McLaren claimed “mitigating circumstances existed in that there was additional and unexpected porpoising at this event, limited opportunity to test due to the weather on Day 1, and shortened practice sessions.”
Although the panel didn’t accept the plea in mitigation, they did note the FIA’s stance that there was no malicious intent, recording that “the FIA noted that it strongly held the view that the breach was unintentional and that there was not a deliberate attempt to circumvent the regulations”.
This was not exactly uncharted territory in 2025. Lewis Hamilton and Nico Hülkenberg were both disqualified on similar grounds — the Ferrari driver at Shanghai, and the Haas man in Bahrain.
With two Grands Prix and a single Sprint still to come in 2025, a total of 58 points remained available to decide the destiny of the championship.
Post-race, before he learned of the exclusion, Norris said: “I don’t know what the issues were. The team just told me there were some problems and they were telling me to back off. So that’s something I’ll go and speak to them about in a bit.”
Piastri meanwhile endured a chaotic opener, dropping to P7 after tangling with Liam Lawson at Turn 1. He fought back to finish fifth on the road, then jumped to P4 when Kimi Antonelli was handed a five-second penalty for a false start.
Reflecting before the ruling, Piastri summarised his evening this way: “I think first lap was eventful to say the least and then a couple of mistakes after that which didn’t help,”
adding: “The team did a really good job in getting our race back on track with strategy, so that was probably the highlight of the race.
“Got stuck behind Kimi, got close on one lap and I lost all grip when I tried to get alongside and I couldn’t get close enough again. That made life pretty tough but a bit of a feeling of more on the table.”
2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix race results
The 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix Race was held on 22 November 2025 at 8:00 pm local time.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Laps | Time / Retired | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 50 | 01:21:08 | 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 |
2 – Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri finished second and fourth, respectively, but were disqualified for excessive plank wear
2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time of Day | Time | Avg. Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 50 | 21:25:16 | 1:33.365 | 239.1 |
| 2 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 41 | 21:11:16 | 1:33.965 | 237.573 |
| 3 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 48 | 21:22:34 | 1:33.998 | 237.49 |
| 4 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 47 | 21:21:01 | 1:94.086 | 237.268 |
| 5 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 43 | 21:14:43 | 1:34.304 | 236.719 |
| 6 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 42 | 21:13:13 | 1:34.496 | 236.238 |
| 7 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team | 50 | 21:26:27 | 1:34.519 | 236.181 |
| 8 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 49 | 21:24:41 | 1:34.553 | 236.096 |
| 9 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas F1 Team | 48 | 21:23:08 | 1:34.557 | 236.086 |
| 10 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber | 49 | 21:24:32 | 1:94.592 | 235.998 |
| 11 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 50 | 21:25:40 | 1:34.592 | 235.998 |
| 12 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | 50 | 21:26:02 | 1:34.620 | 235.928 |
| 13 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 47 | 21:22:07 | 1:34.837 | 235.389 |
| 14 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing | 49 | 21:25:08 | 1:34.967 | 235.066 |
| 15 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 26 | 20:48:32 | 1:35.184 | 234.531 |
| 16 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 41 | 21:12:09 | 1:35.629 | 233.439 |
| 17 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 44 | 21:17:10 | 1:35.674 | 233.329 |
| 18 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 38 | 21:07:47 | 1:35.780 | 233.071 |
2025 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings
Championship standings for Drivers’ and Teams after the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix.
2025 Post-Race F1 Drivers’ Championship Standings
| Pos | Driver | Nationality | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lando Norris | GBR | McLaren | 390 |
| 2 | Oscar Piastri | AUS | McLaren | 366 |
| 3 | Max Verstappen | NED | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 366 |
| 4 | George Russell | GBR | Mercedes | 294 |
| 5 | Charles Leclerc | MON | Ferrari | 226 |
| 6 | Lewis Hamilton | GBR | Ferrari | 152 |
| 7 | Kimi Antonelli | ITA | Mercedes | 137 |
| 8 | Alexander Albon | THA | Williams Mercedes | 73 |
| 9 | Isack Hadjar | FRA | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 51 |
| 10 | Nico Hulkenberg | GER | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 49 |
| 11 | Carlos Sainz | ESP | Williams Mercedes | 48 |
| 12 | Oliver Bearman | GBR | Haas Ferrari | 41 |
| 13 | Fernando Alonso | ESP | Aston Martin Mercedes | 40 |
| 14 | Liam Lawson | NZL | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 36 |
| 15 | Esteban Ocon | FRA | Haas Ferrari | 32 |
| 16 | Lance Stroll | CAN | Aston Martin Mercedes | 32 |
| 17 | Yuki Tsunoda | JPN | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 28 |
| 18 | Pierre Gasly | FRA | Alpine Renualt | 22 |
| 19 | Gabriel Bortoleto | BRA | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 19 |
| 20 | Franco Colapinto | ARG | Alpine Renualt | 0 |
| 21 | Jack Doohan | AUS | Alpine Renualt | 0 |
2025 Post-Race F1 Constructors’ Championship Standings
| Pos. | Team | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McLaren Mercedes | 756 |
| 2 | Mercedes | 431 |
| 3 | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 391 |
| 4 | Ferrari | 378 |
| 5 | Williams Mercedes | 121 |
| 6 | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 90 |
| 7 | Haas Ferrari | 73 |
| 8 | Aston Martin Mercedes | 72 |
| 9 | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 68 |
| 10 | Alpine Renualt | 22 |
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