Verstappen wins in Las Vegas

Max Verstappen finished with a 20-second lead to claim victory at the Las Vegas Grand Prix to boost his chances of winning the world championship title this season.

Starting behind polesitter Lando Norris, Verstappen capitalised on an early mistake by Norris at the opening turn, swiftly overtaking and holding the lead throughout the night race on the Las Vegas Strip. 

The Red Bull driver’s pace and strategy allowed him to maintain a comfortable gap, particularly as Mercedes driver George Russell struggled with tyre degradation and steering issues, unable to seriously challenge Verstappen’s position.

Lando Norris initially finished second, and his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri was fourth. 

However, a dramatic turn of events unfolded post-race. Both McLaren drivers were disqualified due to a technical infringement related to excessive skid block wear. 

The stewards’ investigation found that the skid planks on both cars fell below the mandated minimum thickness after the race inspection.

This wear level was linked to unexpected high porpoising during the race that caused the cars to bottom out more than anticipated. 

McLaren later revealed that both cars had sustained accidental damage that may have contributed to this issue.

Norris had earlier admitted to a mistake into Turn One that cost him valuable time and position, but the disqualification erased his second-place finish. The disqualification also impacted Piastri, who had run a solid race to score fourth place. 

The result handed Verstappen the full 25 points and wiped McLaren’s points from the leaderboard, significantly shifting the championship dynamics with only the final races left in the season.

After the disqualification, Norris remained the championship leader but with a now thinner margin over Verstappen and Piastri. The penalty reshaped the title battle heading into the final races, with Norris now holding a 24-point lead.

The last two Grand Prix, including a sprint event, offer enough points for the championship battle to stay open, keeping Verstappen’s hopes alive.

Verstappen praised his car’s performance, stating that the setup allowed him to manage tyre wear better than usual and push harder in the race’s latter stages.

Meanwhile, McLaren acknowledged the disappointing outcome and announced a full investigation into the cause of the skid plank wear related to the porpoising and the accidental damage both cars experienced.