Las Vegas

2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix: Verstappen Hits the Jackpot as McLaren's Gamble Backfires

In the city of lights and high stakes, the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix delivered a race result that wasn’t truly decided until the cars had long since returned to the garage. What looked like a damage-limitation exercise for Max Verstappen transformed into a decisive strike in the title battle, as a post-race technical infringement saw both McLarens disqualified from the final classification.

While the provisional podium saw Lando Norris standing next to his title rival, the scrutineering bay told a different story. A breach of the technical regulations regarding plank wear wiped McLaren from the sheets, turning a narrow points gain for Verstappen into a massive 24-point swing heading into Qatar.

The Race: Verstappen’s Clinical Execution

Driver Rating: 9.5

Before the technical drama unfolded, Max Verstappen delivered a vintage performance on track. Starting P2, the Dutchman capitalized immediately on a frantic start. Lando Norris, desperate to hold the lead, attempted an aggressive defence into Turn 1 but carried too much speed, running wide and opening the door.

Verstappen didn't need a second invitation. Once in clean air, the Red Bull driver controlled the pace with the efficiency of a 69-time race winner. Even when Norris recovered to P2 on track and began to close the gap, Verstappen found a higher gear, managing his tires and the gap to perfection. It was a drive that would have likely won the title battle psychologically; the disqualification just confirmed it mathematically.

The Bombshell: McLaren’s Double DQ 

Status: Disqualified

The shock of the weekend came hours after the checkered flag. The FIA technical delegates found that the skid blocks (planks) on both the #4 and #81 McLarens failed to meet the minimum thickness required by Article 3.5.9 e) of the Technical Regulations.

The rules mandate a minimum thickness of 9mm to prevent teams from running ride heights too low for aerodynamic gain. The measurements were agonizingly close but fatal:

• Lando Norris: Front Right measured 8.88mm, Rear Right 8.93mm.

• Oscar Piastri: Front Right measured 8.74mm.

In a sport defined by millimetres, missing the mark by 0.12mm effectively handed the match point to Red Bull. While Norris (Rating: 8.0) drove a brilliant recovery and Piastri (Rating: 6.5) fought through the field, their efforts were nullified by the non-compliant plank.

Mercedes: Strategy Masters

Kimi Antonelli (Rating: 8.3) & George Russell (Rating: 8.1)

Mercedes emerged as the biggest beneficiaries of the chaos. George Russell, who had battled high tire degradation throughout the race, was promoted to P2, salvaging a strong result from a difficult second stint.

But the story of the day belonged to rookie Kimi Antonelli. Starting from a lowly P17, the young Italian executed a masterful one-stop strategy, nursing his hard tires while others faltered. His ability to preserve rubber allowed him to jump the midfield, crossing the line P4 before being elevated to the podium. His performance was reflected in the data, registering a massive +11 ELO gain, which was the highest of the weekend.

Midfield Mayhem: The "Brain-Dead" Moment

The race was punctuated by erratic driving in the midfield, with several drivers failing to see the checkered flag.

• Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber): The rookie had a nightmare start, misjudging his braking point at Turn 1 and torpedoing Lance Stroll. The incident, described by pundits as a "brain-dead mistake," earned him a -15 ELO drop, the steepest performance decline of the event.

• Alex Albon (Williams): A forgettable weekend for Albon ended in retirement after a rear-end collision with Lewis Hamilton, resulting in a -13 ELO hit.

• Liam Lawson (RB): Another driver involved in the Turn 1 chaos, Lawson appeared to "forget the brake pedal," slamming into Piastri and compromising both their races

Championship Outlook

The disqualifications have fundamentally altered the landscape of the 2025 season. What should have been a tight fight to the finish has widened into a 24-point chasm in Verstappen's favour.

McLaren pushed the limits of performance and physical tolerance in Vegas, and they paid the ultimate price. Heading to Qatar, the equation is simple: Verstappen doesn't just have the points; he has the momentum.