Red Bull Racing celebrated Max Verstappen's victory at the Las Vegas GP, with Lando Norris initially finishing second. However, three hours later, the FIA disqualified both McLaren cars due to skid wear violations, reshuffling the results. Subsequently, Verstappen kept P1, while Mercedes' George Russell was promoted to second place.
With the FIA's move, McLaren's hopes of chasing the World Championship have now taken a hit, while Max Verstappen faces a growing challenge from Lando Norris, who is proving to be a strong rival this season. On the shinier side of things, there are two rounds still left before the 2025 Formula 21 season comes to an end, namely the Qatar GP and the season finale - Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Interestingly, the Qatar GP also features a sprint race on the schedule, which may alter Max's position relative to Lando Norris.
With Lando Norris's points cut after the disqualification, Max Verstappen now trails Lando by just 24 points and sits in a tie with Oscar Piastri (366 points), transforming a likely title loss into a tense battle. To claim his fifth championship, Verstappen must seize all 58 points still available across the Qatar Sprint and two Grand Prix. However, if Piastri or Verstappen are within 25 points after the Qatar Grand Prix, the title fight will be decided at the season finale in Abu Dhabi on December 7.
Max Verstappen needs to win both races and the sprint to have a clear shot at the title. That would give him 424 points. But Lando Norris, already on 390, must not score more than 34 points in the remaining season. If Norris finishes second in all three races, Verstappen can't catch him. One scenario where Max wins is if Norris takes second in the sprint but only manages fourth and third in the races, with Max finishing at first, both would tie at 424, with the Dutch racer winning on countback. If Norris fails to score or retires (DNF) in any race, his maximum drops to 415, handing Verstappen the World Champion title.
There's also a possibility for McLaren's Oscar Piastri to claim the World Championship if he outperforms both Lando Norris and Max Verstappen across the sprint and two Grand Prix, ideally by winning the sprint and at least one race, while Norris collects fewer than 34 points.