Buckle up, F1 fans! The final two Grands Prix—the first in Qatar and the last in Abu Dhabi—will be wild and full of drama as they will decide who will be the World Champion of 2025. Lando Norris is still in the lead, but Oscar Piastri is hot on his heels, and so is Max Verstappen, who is suddenly now in prime position to steal away the world title from either of the McLaren duo.
This developed after Norris and Piastri failed to score a point in the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Sunday after they were disqualified at the conclusion of the race. After post-race inspection, steards found that the wear on each car’s plank—a strip of composite material on the underside of the car—was beyond the permitted amount, with Norris’s 0.12 millimeters over the limit and Piastri’s 0.26 millimeters above it.
The violations left the stewards no choice but to strike both from the final classification, negating Norris’ second place finish and the 18 points that would’ve come from it. Piastri’s fourth place finish and the 12 points it provides was also struck down.
Max Verstappen Primed for Epic Comeback
Prior to the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Max Verstappen had already admitted that his chances at winning a fifth straight F1 World Championship were very slim. But after Sunday’s dramatic turn of events, he now has a legitimate shot at winning it all again.
With Norris and Piastri unable to add to their point total, Verstappen now trails Norris by only 24 points (390 to 366) and is tied with Piastri for joint second. This puts all the pressure on the Papaya Bro and McLaren to be at their best in both Qatar and Abu Dhabi—something Verstappen has done remarkably well over his four-year reign. Put simply, another slip-up like the one in Vegas could be disastrous for both Norris and Piastri and potentially game-changing for the Red Bull ace.
Needless to say, Sunday’s by-a-hair finish in Las Vegas has made the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix appointment viewing, with the F1 World Championship on the line.
