Verstappen wins in the chaos of Las Vegas – World Cup fight on a knife’s edge!

Verstappen wins in the chaos of Las Vegas – World Cup fight on a knife’s edge!

Max Verstappen won the race in Las Vegas on November 23, 2025, securing his sixth victory in the current Formula 1 season. The Dutchman benefited from the disqualification of his competitors Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri from McLaren, who were removed from the classification after the race due to technical defects. This has a significant impact on the course of the World Cup.

In a clearly exciting competition, Verstappen managed to secure the lead in the first corner of the race after Lando Norris lost control of his vehicle. Verstappen was able to successfully defend his lead against George Russell from Mercedes and controlled the remainder of the race. His better tire management allowed him to delay the pit stop and cross the finish line with a 20-second lead, as laola1.at reports.

Discussion about disqualification

The disqualification of Norris and Piastri turns the world championship fight on its head. Before the race, Norris appeared to be well on his way to having the title in hand. However, after the technical check, he not only lost his points but also first place, which means that Verstappen has now moved closer to Norris: the gap is reduced to just 24 points. Although Norris remains the leader with 390 points, the competition has become significantly tougher.

With the disqualification, Verstappen and Piastri are now tied on points with 366 points each. Norris will have to be on his guard in the remaining races in both Qatar and Abu Dhabi as a total of 58 points are still up for grabs. Before the race in Qatar, Piastri needs a good performance to stay in the title race, as he needs to score at least five points more than Norris to keep the race exciting and, ideally, also win in Abu Dhabi to have a chance of the title motorsport.com explains in detail.

Current drivers' and constructors' standings

The current status of the drivers' standings clearly shows the shifts after the race. The top three in the drivers' standings are:

In the constructors' championship, McLaren clearly leads with 756 points, ahead of Mercedes, who have 398 points, and Red Bull with 366 points. These developments are crucial for the coming races and could have a lasting impact on the course of the season, especially with the focus on the races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, as sportsillustrated.de also reports.

So the coming weekend in Qatar promises to be an exciting decision in the battle for the drivers' title, and every point could be important. The atmosphere is tense and the teams will do everything they can to secure as many points as possible.