The 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix delivered drama from the opening lights to well after the checkered flag. Max Verstappen emerged victorious after a blistering race, while Lando Norris—who started from pole—fell to second on track. George Russell completed the podium, but a major shake-up awaited the grid after technical inspections.
At the start, Norris was quickly overtaken by Verstappen and Russell, losing the lead within the opening corners. Behind them, Gabriel Bortoleto’s late braking move triggered contact with Lance Stroll, forcing both drivers out of the race and prompting early yellow flags.
Once racing resumed, Charles Leclerc climbed through the midfield, eventually passing both Oscar Piastri and Isack Hadjar to move into fifth place. Lewis Hamilton also capitalized on the chaos and surged up to 12th.
A virtual safety car emerged following an Albon–Hamilton incident, and after green flags returned, Piastri made a swift move on Hadjar. Later, 15 laps before the finish, Norris retook second from Russell, while Albon retired from the pit lane shortly after.
Kimi Antonelli produced a remarkable 13-position climb but ultimately fell back due to a five-second penalty for a false start. Hamilton ended the race with nine positions gained, securing valuable points.
Verstappen took the checkered flag, keeping his championship hopes alive. Norris and Russell completed the podium—but only temporarily.
Post-race inspections revealed that both McLaren cars violated FIA technical regulations: the rear skid block thickness was under the mandated 9 mm. Measurements showed 8.88 mm at the front and 8.93 mm at the rear. As a result, Norris and Piastri were disqualified, voiding their respective second and fourth-place finishes.
With the updated standings, Verstappen and Piastri are now tied at 366 points, while Norris maintains the championship lead with 390. With only two races remaining, the title fight has ignited once again.