What Lando Norris Disqualification Means for F1 Title Standings as Max Verstappen Gains

Max Verstappen’s victory at the Las Vegas Grand Prix took on greater significance following the disqualification of McLaren teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Before the race, Norris led Piastri by 24 points, with Verstappen a further 25 points behind in third place.

Verstappen’s win in Vegas allowed him to outpace Norris, who initially finished ahead, and narrow the gap to just 42 points. Piastri had finished fourth, but the post-race investigation into McLaren’s cars changed the dynamics dramatically.

Both Norris and Piastri were disqualified due to the skid blocks on their MCL39 cars being worn below the FIA’s minimum thickness of nine millimetres. This decision nullified their race results, effectively erasing their points from the Las Vegas Grand Prix. As a result, Verstappen leapfrogged Piastri to share second place in the championship, trailing Norris by 24 points with only two races and a sprint race remaining this season.

After the stewards' ruling, Mercedes also benefited—George Russell moved up to second place from third, and his teammate Kimi Antonelli grabbed third, marking his third podium in an impressive rookie season.

Looking ahead, the championship battle intensifies with the Qatar Grand Prix and Abu Dhabi finale still ahead. A sprint race in Qatar offers an additional eight points, providing Verstappen with an opportunity to further reduce the deficit. Though Verstappen needs Norris to falter significantly to take the title, recent events have reignited his hopes.

Verstappen boasts a strong record in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, having won multiple recent editions of both races. Conversely, Norris is the reigning champion at Yas Marina and holds an edge with seven wins during the season, compared to Verstappen’s six. This slight advantage could be crucial in a tiebreaker scenario, which would be decided by the number of race victories.

Norris also holds momentum from a consistent string of five consecutive podium finishes prior to the Vegas disqualification. Meanwhile, Verstappen has been formidable as well, with eight straight podiums including four victories, ramping up the pressure on McLaren’s lead driver.

The championship remains wide open: if Norris manages to outscore Verstappen and Piastri by even a small margin in Qatar, he could secure the World Championship. However, any further issues for Norris—such as another disqualification or a non-finish—could swing the title fight decisively toward Verstappen.

Current F1 Drivers' Championship standings: