F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix Ends in Turmoil: Top Contender Disqualified

By Blog


Published on: November 23, 2025, at 05:55h.

Updated on: November 23, 2025, at 05:59h.

Max Verstappen secured victory at the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix for Oracle Red Bull Racing on Saturday night, but the headline emerged three hours after the race concluded.

Lando Norris, finishing second, sprays celebratory champagne on Max Verstappen, the winner of the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, shortly after the race. However, just two hours later, both Norris and a teammate faced disqualification due to post-race inspections. (Image: Jeff Speer/Icon Sportswire via Getty)

Post-race inspections led to the disqualification of McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, as both MCL39s exhibited excessive wear on their skid planks.

Max Verstappen of Oracle Red Bull Racing crosses the finish line first, dominating the 2025 F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix from the very beginning. (Image: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty)

Norris, coming off victories in Mexico and Brazil and starting from pole in Las Vegas, was the frontrunner in betting odds. However, after missing the apex at Turn 1, Verstappen took the lead and maintained control for the rest of the race.

The disqualifications of Norris and Piastri significantly alter the F1 Drivers’ Championship landscape. Instead of extending his lead to 30 points over Piastri and 42 over Verstappen, Norris now holds only a 24-point advantage over both competitors, who are now tied in second place at 366 points each.

With two Grands Prix and a Sprint remaining, there are still 58 points up for grabs in Qatar (November 28-30) and Abu Dhabi (December 5-7), heightening the competition for the title in the final stretch.

Understanding Skid Planks

A skid plank provides essential protection for a racecar’s undercarriage against track contact. (Image: Wikipedia)

Skid planks are reinforced wood components designed to prevent the undercarriage of race cars from scraping against the racetrack, ensuring safety. Allowing them to wear down excessively can convert the aerodynamic downforce into an unfair advantage.

Following each race, Formula 1’s governing body, the International Automobile Federation (FIA), inspects all 20 cars for various compliance aspects, including fuel makeup, tire pressure, oil usage, torque control, and skid plank thickness.

The FIA mandates that all skid planks measure 10mm (±0.2mm) when new, with a minimum allowable thickness of 9mm due to wear. Reports from Sky Sports indicate that Norris’ skid planks measured 8.88mm on the front right and 8.93mm on the right rear, while Piastri’s measured 8.96mm on the front left, 8.75mm on the front right, and 8.9mm on the right rear.

Here are the revised standings, which promoted Kimi Antonelli, who originally finished fifth, onto the podium:

  1. Max Verstappen
  2. George Russell
  3. Kimi Antonelli
  4. Charles Leclerc
  5. Carlos Sainz
  6. Isack Hadjar
  7. Nico Hulkenberg
  8. Lewis Hamilton
  9. Esteban Ocon
  10. Oliver Bearman



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