Lando Norris could wrap up his maiden Formula 1 world title this Sunday at the 2025 Qatar Grand Prix – yes, even after the incredible post-race disqualifications for both McLarens in Las Vegas. So how did we get here, and what are the stakes now as the final two races loom?
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were excluded from the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix results after the FIA inspected their cars and found excessive skid-block wear. Both McLarens, out. Brutal. Yet Norris still arrives in Qatar with a clear shot at the biggest prize in motorsport. But how?
What’s the title situation now?
Before the disqualifications, Norris had increased his lead to 30 points – comfy, right? But with both Papya cars losing everything from Vegas, his margin over Piastri bounced back to its pre-weekend size of 24 points.
F1 Drivers’ Championship – top three
| Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Lando Norris | McLaren | 390 |
| Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 366 |
| Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 366 |
More significantly, Norris is also now only 24 points up on Max Verstappen, who crushed the Las Vegas race.
A maximum haul of 58 points remains from Qatar (a Sprint weekend) plus Abu Dhabi.
And here’s the key: Norris cannot seal the championship on Saturday in the Sprint… but he will be world champion on Sunday if he ends the Grand Prix at least 26 points clear of both Verstappen and Piastri.
F1 Points (just in case your brain needs refreshing)
| Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 25 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| Points (Sprint) | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
So, the math for Norris is blissfully simple: out-score Verstappen and Piastri by just two points over the Qatar weekend, and he becomes Britain’s 11th F1 world champion.
One straightforward route? Score solid Sprint points – say, top six – and then win Sunday’s Grand Prix. Easy. (In theory.)
What are Verstappen and Piastri’s odds?
This is where the jeopardy explodes.
A sticky weekend for Norris could flip the standings on their head. It’s genuinely possible that either Piastri or Verstappen leaves Qatar on top of the championship.
To stay alive heading to Abu Dhabi, both drivers must remain within 25 points of Norris.
Piastri has been beaten by Norris in the last seven races – a streak the Aussie must snap, pronto.
Meanwhile, Verstappen has roared back into the hunt thanks to Vegas. Just weeks ago, after Brazil, he publicly wrote himself out of contention.
“We always try to just maximise everything that we’ve got,” said Verstappen before the McLaren exclusions. Las Vegas, that was first and the upcoming weekends we’ll again try to win the race. And at the end of Abu Dhabi, we’ll see where we end up.”
On paper, McLaren should be strong at both Qatar and Abu Dhabi, but Verstappen has had winning pace at five of the last seven races. And remember: he was staring at a 104-point deficit after Zandvoort in late August. If he pulls this off, it will go down as the most outrageous comeback in F1 history.
Will McLaren now back Norris?
That’s the enormous ethical question.
Publicly, McLaren insists both drivers get equal backing until the title maths kills one off.
Earlier this month, chief executive Zak Brown said he’d happily lose the title to Verstappen than favour one of his own:
“That’s not how we go racing. If 2007 happens again, I’d rather have that outcome than any other that involves playing favourites – we won’t do it.”
He was referring to the 2007 finale, where McLaren didn’t choose between Hamilton and Alonso – and Kimi Räikkönen swooped in from 17 points behind (a modern-equivalent 42-point swing!) to win the championship.
Team principal Andrea Stella has doubled down:
“We are not going to close the door unless this is closed by mathematics.”
And with Piastri one race win behind Norris, the team are unlikely to abandon fairness now – even with Verstappen looming like an orange-bordered shadow.
Will McLaren change its approach after the Vegas DQs?
Immediately, all eyes are on their ride-height choices.
The team are urgently analysing how their skid plank wear crossed the line in Vegas – a breach small enough to measure “in millimetres”, yet devastating in impact.
Earlier in the season, at the 2025 United States Grand Prix, both McLarens wiped out in the Sprint when Piastri clipped Norris. That robbed them of key setup data and forced conservative decisions during the race, where Verstappen walked away with another win.
There’s precedence here.
Why did the FIA check the McLarens? Because they usually examine a selection of cars post-race, and in Vegas, they inspected the entire original top 10. In Brazil, it was seven of the top 10.
The good news for McLaren: Qatar and Abu Dhabi are smoother tracks. Less bouncing, less risk of grinding the plank too far. But here’s the kicker: even raising the car by a whisker to avoid catastrophe could cost decisive lap time. And you don’t need us to tell you that two or three tenths could flip the championship on its head.
Hold tight. This is heading for a blockbuster finish.
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