LAS VEGAS: Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Saturday and roared back into the Formula One title battle after the shock disqualification of McLaren’s championship leader Lando Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri. Norris, who started on pole and finished second, and fourth-placed Piastri were ruled out for technical reasons linked to the under-car skid planks hours after the race had ended and the podium champagne been sprayed.
The development left Britain’s Norris 24 points clear of four-times world champion Verstappen and Australian Piastri, now tied on points, with two rounds to go in Qatar and Abu Dhabi and 58 points available.
Stewards had summoned both McLaren drivers after a post-race FIA inspection found the thickness of the plank assembly was below the permitted minimum. George Russell, last year’s winner of the floodlit race and like Norris making his 150th start, moved up to second with teammate Kimi Antonelli taking third. Antonelli was fourth at the flag but had dropped to fifth after a five-second penalty was applied for a jumped start. Norris, who finished 20.741 seconds behind Verstappen, can still secure his first title in Qatar next weekend but Verstappen is now within striking distance again and can sniff the chance of a fifth title in a row. McLaren have already clinched the constructors’ crown for the second year in a row.
