Max Verstappen set a devastating pace that none of his rivals could replicate to win the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix.
MADRID, 23 (EUROPA PRESS).- The Dutch pilot Max Verstappen (Red Bull) won this Sunday in the race of Las Vegas Grand Prixpenultimate test of the World Cup Formula 1 (F1), and approached the overall lead after the two McLarenthose of the British Lando Norris and from the Australian Oscar Plateswho had finished second and fourth respectively, were disqualified due to excessive wear on the bottom plate of their cars.
As reported by the International Automobile Federation (FIA) hours after the race, the technical delegates detected that the thickness of the rear skid of both “papaya” cars was less than the regulatory nine millimeters and referred the matter to the stewards, who finally proceeded to disqualify the two drivers.
This sanction allows Verstappen, who has his sixth win of the season, to make a significant jump in the standings, with only 58 points left, which will be given by a sprint and two long races. Norris remains in the lead with 390 points, but with only 24 ahead of the Oceanic and the Dutchman, who are now tied on points (366).
Savouring a special podium! 🤩🍾#F1 #LasVegasGP pic.twitter.com/4UwY1GmAzm
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 23, 2025
Meanwhile, the Spanish Carlos Sainz (Williams), who started third, could not withstand the push of the Mercedes and the Ferrari of his former teammate Charles Leclerc and finished in seventh position, although he rose to fifth with the McLaren penalty, and Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) was finally unable to finish in the points zone and crossed the finish line thirteenth, but also rose two places to eleventh.
All after a race in which Norris, poleman on Saturday, failed to defend his pole position at the start and went wide, allowing both “Mad Max” and the British George Russell (Mercedes) to overtake him. From that moment on, the four-time world champion set a devastating pace that none of his rivals were able to reproduce.
For his part, the Italian Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) received a five-second penalty for overtaking at the start, but that did not prevent him from making a spectacular comeback from seventeenth to fifth place, all while keeping the hard tire for more than 40 laps. With the sanction of the McLarens, he finally climbs to the third place on the podium, next to his teammate in the ‘silver arrows’, Russell, in second.
Charles was certainly pushing in Vegas! Like an animal, you might say 😅#F1 #LasVegasGP pic.twitter.com/teH5AoRwo4
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 23, 2025