Las Vegas GP Race Results: Winners, Losers & Updated Standings
Neon nights, cool desert air, and a title fight jolted back to life. The 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix delivered a decisive twist: Max Verstappen won under the lights while both McLarens were disqualified post‑race for excessive skid plank wear. The reshuffle vaulted Mercedes to a double podium, tightened the drivers’ championship, and reframed the final two rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
If you followed our qualifying and practice coverage, you knew this race would reward straight‑line efficiency, confidence on cold tyres, and disciplined braking into Turn 14. The Strip then added its signature chaos — and the FIA added a late sting.
- Missed our build‑up? Read: Las Vegas Qualifying: Winners, Losers & Championship Impact and Friday Practice Analysis: Early Pace & Setup Trends.
The race in 60 seconds
Verstappen seized control at Turn 1 after pole‑sitter Lando Norris ran wide, then managed the race with metronomic pace and late fastest lap. On the road, Norris and Oscar Piastri finished P2 and P4 — but both were disqualified after post‑race checks found the rearmost skid wear below the 9mm minimum. That decision promoted George Russell to P2 and Kimi Antonelli to P3, handing Mercedes a big points haul and blowing open the drivers’ fight with two rounds to go.
Official race result (top 10)
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull) — 1:21:08.429
- George Russell (Mercedes) — +23.546s
- Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) — +30.488s
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) — +30.678s
- Carlos Sainz (Williams) — +34.924s
- Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) — +45.257s
- Nico Hülkenberg (Kick Sauber) — +51.134s
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) — +59.369s
- Esteban Ocon (Haas) — +60.635s
- Oliver Bearman (Haas) — +70.549s
Classified: Alonso 11th, Tsunoda 12th, Gasly 13th, Lawson 14th, Colapinto 15th; DNFs: Albon, Bortoleto, Stroll; DSQ: Norris, Piastri. Note: Antonelli received a 5s penalty for a false start.
The tyre and pace story
- Compounds: Pirelli brought C3 (hard), C4 (medium), C5 (soft) — the softest range — with temperature management again the weekend’s central theme.
- Strategy: With low degradation and long straights shedding tyre surface heat, one‑stoppers on hard→medium (or the reverse) proved strong. Hülkenberg and Hamilton notably maximized that path into points.
- Lap record: Verstappen sealed the fastest lap on the final tour, a 1:33.365 — now the circuit benchmark on the 6.201 km layout over 50 laps.
Winners
Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
Clinical from Turn 1 to the chequered flag. Verstappen’s sixth win of the season came with a late fastest lap flourish, slashing his deficit in the championship to 24 points. The Dutchman leaves Las Vegas tied on points with Piastri and eyeing a title tilt in the final two rounds.
Mercedes (Russell P2, Antonelli P3)
Mercedes converted solid race pace into a double podium once the McLarens were excluded. Russell absorbed late‑stint tyre fade to secure P2, while rookie Antonelli overcame a false‑start penalty to claim P3 and valuable championship points for the Silver Arrows.
Haas (Ocon/Bearman double‑points)
A disciplined evening with clean execution put Haas back in the points with P9 and P10 — the kind of incremental haul that matters in a tight midfield.
Carlos Sainz (Williams) and Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)
Sainz banked P5 with tidy racecraft and straight‑line efficiency; Hadjar’s P6 capped a composed, low‑error night and moves him up in the top‑10 fight in the standings.
Losers
McLaren: Double DSQ and a swinging title picture
On pace, McLaren looked set for a damage‑limiting P2/P4. Post‑race, both cars failed plank wear checks — a standard exclusion under the regs — turning a 30‑point day into zero and trimming Norris’s lead to 24 over Verstappen (with Piastri now level with the Red Bull). A gut punch — even if the Constructors’ title was already wrapped.
Aston Martin and Williams (Albon)
Stroll retired on lap 1; Albon’s race ended on lap 35 after contact earlier in the night, nullifying Williams’ shot at a double‑points result despite Sainz’s P5.
Updated F1 standings after Las Vegas
Drivers’ Championship (top 10)
- Lando Norris — 390
- Oscar Piastri — 366
- Max Verstappen — 366
- George Russell — 294
- Charles Leclerc — 226
- Lewis Hamilton — 152
- Kimi Antonelli — 137
- Alexander Albon — 73
- Isack Hadjar — 51
- Nico Hülkenberg — 49
(Then: Sainz 48, Bearman 41, Alonso 40, Lawson 36, Ocon 32, Stroll 32, Tsunoda 28, Gasly 22, Bortoleto 19, Colapinto 0, Doohan 0.)
Constructors’ Championship
- McLaren — 756 (champions)
- Mercedes — 431
- Red Bull — 391
- Ferrari — 378
- Williams — 121
- Racing Bulls — 90
- Haas — 73
- Aston Martin — 72
- Kick Sauber — 68
- Alpine — 22
These are the official post‑race classifications reflecting the McLaren disqualifications.
What it means for the title fight
There are 58 points left on the table across Qatar (November 28–30) and Abu Dhabi (December 5–7) — enough for Verstappen to mount a late charge if he stays ahead of both McLarens. Norris remains in control: finish in front of both Verstappen and Piastri in Qatar and he’ll carry match‑point to Yas Marina. But with Red Bull pace trending up and Mercedes in the mix, the margins are razor‑thin. Use our live Championship Simulator to test how wins, podiums and fastest laps swing the title.
Key scenarios to watch
- If Verstappen wins Qatar with fastest lap and Norris/Piastri finish off the podium, the gap tightens dramatically — setting up a winner‑takes‑all vibe for Abu Dhabi.
- Mercedes could play kingmaker: Russell and Antonelli now routinely disrupt McLaren’s easy points.
- Piastri v Verstappen tiebreaker: they’re currently level on points, with Piastri ahead on countback of wins. A single result swing changes the order.
Data notes and context
- Circuit profile: 6.201 km, 50 laps, high top‑speed bias, heavy braking into Turn 14. DRS trains break with tyre prep more than pure downforce here.
- Park ferme precision: On street circuits with bumps and cool temps, ride‑height targets and plank wear margins are unforgiving. The McLaren exclusions follow precedent: below‑limit skid wear equals DSQ, intent irrelevant.
- Momentum watch: Verstappen’s eighth straight podium keeps pressure on McLaren; Mercedes’ scoring rate since the break has turned P2 in the constructors into a live fight they now lead.
What’s next
Qatar’s night race (November 28–30) will stress front tyres and reward cars that rotate cleanly through medium‑speed. One week later, Abu Dhabi (December 5–7) decides it all. We’ll have full previews, sims and strategy models mid‑week.
- Forecast your title outcome with our Championship Simulator
- Revisit our Las Vegas Winner Prediction model and see which signals hit.
- Check the Development Tracker to map upgrades to results.
Conclusion
Vegas always rolls loaded dice — this time, the house was parc fermé. Verstappen banked a must‑win, Mercedes cashed a double podium, and McLaren’s DSQ turned a cruise into a cliff‑edge. With two stops left on the calendar and 58 points in play, one mistake — one plank millimetre — could write the 2025 title story. Strap in for Qatar and run your own scenarios on RaceMate’s Simulator.