The 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix delivered one of the most dramatic twists of the season. With Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri both disqualified for technical infringements, the championship fight has shifted sharply and reopened a door that seemed all but closed.
Max Verstappen’s win in Las Vegas, combined with McLaren’s double disqualification, has transformed the final two rounds into a genuine three-way title contest involving Norris, Piastri and Verstappen.
With Qatar and Abu Dhabi left on the calendar, plus the Qatar sprint, a maximum of 58 points remains on offer.
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Updated standings: Norris’ advantage reduced to 24 points
The disqualification reset the title scenario:
• 1st – Lando Norris
• 2nd – Oscar Piastri (-24)
• 3rd – Max Verstappen (-24)
Norris retains the upper hand, but the cushion he once enjoyed has all but evaporated. For the first time in months, the championship is no longer in McLaren’s full control.
Norris’ path to the title: third place in every remaining session is enough
Even with Verstappen’s late-season momentum, Norris still remains the statistical favourite.
If Verstappen scores all 58 remaining points by winning:
• Qatar sprint
• Qatar Grand Prix
• Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Norris can still become world champion by finishing third in all three sessions. That outcome would give him the title by just two points.
McLaren has previously shown strong pace in both Qatar and Abu Dhabi, making consistent podiums a realistic target.
This means Verstappen needs more than perfect execution. He needs Norris to finish lower than third at least once, or experience a setback.
The Qatar scenario that could bring a title decider with equal points
One outcome stands out for its sheer drama. Norris and Verstappen could enter Abu Dhabi level on points, setting up a final-race, winner-takes-all showdown.
That happens if:
• Verstappen wins the Qatar sprint
• Verstappen wins the Qatar Grand Prix
• Norris finishes 6th in the sprint
• Norris finishes 7th in the Grand Prix
Such a result would erase Norris’ entire lead and turn Abu Dhabi into a straight finishing-position duel.
Conditions for both Verstappen and Piastri to stay alive
For the title chase to carry to Abu Dhabi for all three contenders:
• They must keep the gap to Norris within one point after Qatar.
Anything more than that, and Norris can clinch the title early.
A potential miracle comeback?
Just weeks ago, Verstappen openly admitted he no longer expected to fight for the title after a difficult mid-season stretch. Yet the Las Vegas disqualification has brought him back into contention and set up the possibility of a historic fifth consecutive championship.
Piastri, too, remains fully in the mix despite losing what could have been a decisive set of points.
The Qatar Grand Prix begins on November 28, and the championship picture could shift once again. The 2025 season is heading toward a tense and unpredictable conclusion.
