5 Things We Learned from the Las Vegas Grand Prix

But there was more drama two hours after the race when Formula 1’s governing body, the FIA, ruled that both McLarens were disqualified from the race because of skid block wear.

Championship leader Norris maintained his 24-point lead over Oscar Piastri, his closest rival, but Verstappen’s Vegas win means he also trails Norris by 24 points.

George Russell and Kimi Antonelli rounded off the podium in Nevada, with the Mercedes rookie particularly impressive. The 19-year-old finished third despite a five-second penalty for encroaching in his starting box.

Let’s unpack that and more in a recap of the wild weekend in Vegas and take away five things we learned.

5 – Hamilton has another weekend to forget

The seven-time world champion has, by his own admission, had a ‘nightmare’ first season with Ferrari. In Vegas, Lewis Hamilton  fell out in Q1 and started from the back of the grid on the hard tyre. The Englishman then took advantage of the midfield chaos to move up to 12th by lap 2. He finished eighth despite a clash with Alex Albon in his second stint, which affected his pace.

4 – Sainz hits the jackpot in Vegas..again

12 months ago, the Spaniard finished third in Las Vegas for Ferrari. The Williams driver had another great weekend in Nevada, qualifying on the third row and finishing fifth.

3 – Antonelli shushes critics

The Italian rookie has silenced his critics with strong performances in the second half of the season. The Mercedes driver finished second in the Sprint and Grand Prix in Sao Paulo and followed that up with third place in Vegas. He did that despite a five-second penalty for rolling in his starting block, and ended up doing an incredible 48 laps on the hard tyres.

2 – Max Verstappen is still in the

The four-time world champion took his chance on Turn 1 as Norris missed his braking spot, and from then on Verstappen was unstoppable. The Red Bull driver moved level on points with Piastri, and with 58 points on offer in Qatar this coming weekend, he is right back in the mix.

1 – What did McLaren get wrong?

It was the worst possible outcome for the 2025 constructors’ champions, leaving Sin City with no chips. “During the race, both cars experienced unexpected, high levels of porpoising not seen in the Practice sessions, which led to excessive contact with the ground,” said Stella in a statement released by McLaren after the decision, according to F1.com. The stewards dismissed the team’s reasons and said that, although it was unintentional, it was still a breach of the rules.