Lando Norris is hitting his stride at just the right time, and his near-perfect run in Sao Paulo proves as much. However, the current leader for the F1 World Championship can’t clinch the crown just yet in Las Vegas—even if he dominates as he did in Brazil.
As things stand, Norris is at the top with 390 points, and is 24 points clear of McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, who’s in second with 366 points. A little further back is Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who’s at 341 points. In fourth is Mercedes’ George Russell with 276 points, but he is too far behind to challenge Norris.
So, with three races remaining, including this weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, and Max Verstappen all still have a chance at winning the driver’s championship.
What Can Lando Norris Do in Las Vegas?
While it’s a three-man race for the title, Lando Norris still has the inside track for winning his first world championship. And if he could carry over his form from Brazil to Vegas, he could mathematically clinch the crown in Qatar at the end of November—especially if he wins the Las Vegas Grand Prix, and both Piastri and Verstappen finish outside the top three.
The ideal scenario for Norris, of course, is to continue winning. Then again, expect Verstappen, who has also been quite impressive late in the season, to launch a full-on chase in these last three races for a last-ditch gasp at winning a fifth straight world title. Piastri, who has been all out of sorts to finish the season, could still rediscover the superb form he flashed early in the season that got him in the driver’s seat to begin with.
Needless to say, Lando Norris can expect a tough challenge from both Piastri and Verstappen to wind down the season. The good news for him is that he only needs to secure four second-place finishes in the Grands Prix, and sprints, to fend off the rest of the field and win the title.
So, buckle up. It’ll be a wild, exciting ride to end the 2025 F1 season.
(Watch as Lando Norris talks to ESPN F1 about his path to the title.)
