Max Verstappen’s win at the recent Las Vegas Grand Prix has received a significant boost following the disqualification of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri from the race. Norris, who had a 24-point advantage over his McLaren teammate Piastri in the drivers’ standings, now finds himself in a tighter race with Verstappen trailing by 25 points in third place.
Verstappen, representing Red Bull, closed the gap on Norris to 42 points by securing victory over the Brit in Vegas, where Piastri finished fourth. The disqualification of both McLaren drivers has resulted in Verstappen tying with Piastri for second place, with Norris maintaining a 24-point lead with just two races left in the season, along with one sprint race.
After the race, both McLaren drivers faced scrutiny from the stewards due to post-race technical violations related to the thickness of the skid block under their cars. Consequently, their results were invalidated.
Verstappen’s joy of winning was further amplified when it was revealed that both McLaren drivers had infringed regulations. Meanwhile, Mercedes celebrated as George Russell was promoted to second place after initially finishing third in Vegas, with his teammate Kimi Antonelli moving up to third place, marking his third podium finish in his debut F1 season.
Looking ahead, with only a maximum of 58 points remaining to secure this season, the focus now shifts to the upcoming Qatar Grand Prix, followed by the season finale in Abu Dhabi. Verstappen still needs Norris to lose a substantial number of points to have a chance at clinching the title, but recent developments have given him a glimmer of hope.
In case Verstappen and Norris end up tied in points, a tiebreaker based on race wins would determine the champion, with Norris currently leading in this aspect. Despite Norris holding an edge due to his consistent performances earlier in the season, Verstappen’s recent streak of podium finishes and race wins has increased the pressure on the McLaren driver as the season nears its conclusion.
The championship battle remains intense, with the potential for a tiebreaker looming if both drivers end up level on points. The narrative of the title race hinges on the performances in the remaining races, setting the stage for a thrilling conclusion to the season.