If you ever needed proof that Formula 1 is a sport where the gods of fate and the FIA’s measuring sticks conspire to keep us all on the edge of our seats, the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix delivered it in spades. Under the neon glare of the Strip, a race that began as a straightforward duel for the title mutated into a Shakespearean drama of triumph, heartbreak, and the kind of post-race scrutineering that makes engineers reach for the antacids. Let’s take a walk through the winners and losers of a night that will be remembered long after the slot machines have paid out their last coin.
- The House Always Wins: Verstappen’s Vegas Jackpot
- McLaren’s Mirage: From Podium to Purgatory
- Mercedes: The Quiet Assassins
- Ferrari: The Red Mist Descends
- The Midfield: Sainz, Hadjar, and Hulkenberg Shine
- The Young and the Restless: Bortoleto’s Baptism by Fire
- The Final Results: How the Cards Fell
- History Repeats: Disqualifications and the Shifting Sands of Fate
- The Title Race: All Bets Are Off
- Waste a Bit More Time
The House Always Wins: Verstappen’s Vegas Jackpot
Max Verstappen, a man who has made winning look as routine as brushing his teeth, claimed his sixth victory of the season in Las Vegas. But this was no ordinary win. The Dutchman’s performance was clinical, his pace relentless, and his timing—both on and off the track—impeccable. Verstappen seized the lead from Lando Norris at Turn 1, capitalized on Norris’s overzealous defense, and never looked back. He finished with a 20-second margin that, frankly, flattered the rest of the field.
But the real jackpot came hours after the chequered flag, when both McLarens were disqualified for excessive plank wear—a technical infringement that has haunted many before them (just ask Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, who suffered a similar fate at the 2023 United States Grand Prix). Suddenly, Verstappen’s title hopes, which had looked as thin as the Las Vegas air, were very much alive.
He’s long spoken about needing some luck to get back in the championship fight properly, and the double disqualification of the two McLarens is exactly that. 24 points, two race weekends, it’s game on… would you bet against him?
PlanetF1.com
For a man who has already conquered Austin and Miami, this Vegas win adds another jewel to Verstappen’s American crown. It’s his first at this venue, but given his form, you’d be a fool to bet against him making it a habit.
McLaren’s Mirage: From Podium to Purgatory
If there’s a word that sums up McLaren’s night, it’s cruel. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri crossed the line in second and fourth, respectively, only to be summoned to the stewards’ office for a technical infringement so precise it would make a Swiss watchmaker blush. The offending item? The plank under their cars, worn beyond the legal limit—a fate that has befallen champions and journeymen alike.
The double disqualification not only stripped McLaren of valuable points but also turned the championship on its head. Norris’s lead over Verstappen shrank from 42 to 24 points, and Piastri, who had been drifting out of contention, suddenly found himself back in the hunt—albeit with the form of a man who’s misplaced his spark.
From a sporting standpoint, depending on how the final two rounds play out, this could end up one of the worst weekends in McLaren’s F1 history.
The Race
It’s not the first time McLaren has found itself on the wrong side of the rulebook. The infamous 2007 Spygate scandal saw them ejected from the Constructors’ Championship, and now, in 2025, a technical infringement threatens to derail their drivers’ title ambitions. History, it seems, has a long memory.
Mercedes: The Quiet Assassins
While the spotlight was fixed on the Verstappen-McLaren drama, Mercedes quietly pocketed a double podium. George Russell inherited second place, and rookie Kimi Antonelli, after a mature drive that belied his years, claimed third. Antonelli’s performance, in particular, was a masterclass in tire management and composure under pressure—a sign that Mercedes may have found their next star.
After the initial start infringement, he drove like a seasoned veteran here, managing the hards over a 48-lap stint, shutting the door on Piastri, then stretching his legs to put Charles Leclerc out of the five-second penalty range. It was just not very rookie-like at all.
The Race
For a team that has spent much of the season in the shadow of Red Bull and McLaren, this result was a timely reminder that Mercedes is never far from the sharp end. The Constructors’ Championship may be out of reach, but the future looks bright—especially with Antonelli’s star on the rise.
Ferrari: The Red Mist Descends
If you listened closely, you could almost hear the collective sigh from Maranello. Ferrari’s night was a study in frustration. Charles Leclerc, who called it probably the best race of the season in terms of personal performance, finished fourth after the McLaren exclusions, while Lewis Hamilton, enduring what he described as his worst season ever, limped home in eighth.
Hamilton was back on one of his increasingly familiar misery trips, calling this his ‘worst season ever’—which is statically correct—and sounding more hopeless than ever in terms of finding a solution. ‘No matter how much I try it keeps getting worse.’
The Race
For a team that once defined dominance, Ferrari now finds itself mired in mediocrity. The Constructors’ battle for second is slipping away, and Hamilton’s dream of a fairytale in red is turning into a nightmare. As for Leclerc, his personal bests are cold comfort in a season where the Scuderia’s standards have slipped.
The Midfield: Sainz, Hadjar, and Hulkenberg Shine
Amid the chaos at the front, the midfield delivered its own stories of grit and redemption. Carlos Sainz, now in Williams blue, qualified third in treacherous conditions and finished fifth—a result that showcased his class and resilience. Isack Hadjar brought home sixth for Racing Bulls, while Nico Hulkenberg, the perennial survivor, claimed seventh for Kick Sauber.
These are the drivers who rarely make the headlines but whose performances keep the sport honest. Sainz, in particular, has shown that talent endures, even when the machinery doesn’t.
The Young and the Restless: Bortoleto’s Baptism by Fire
Gabriel Bortoleto’s rookie season has been a rollercoaster, but in Las Vegas, the wheels came off—literally and figuratively. After a first-lap collision with Lance Stroll, Bortoleto’s race ended in the barriers, and he was handed a five-place grid penalty for Qatar. To his credit, the Brazilian owned up to his mistake, earning the respect of his peers if not the points.
Bortoleto thinks if he’d braked ‘five metres earlier I would’ve probably stopped the car’, but that seems a bit optimistic considering the high velocity with which his Sauber entered the scene. It looked more like he was racing on a sim with damage turned off than entering the first lap of a real-life grand prix.
The Race
It’s a harsh lesson, but one that every rookie must learn. In a sport where the margins are razor-thin, there’s no substitute for experience.
The Final Results: How the Cards Fell
Here’s how the official standings looked after the dust—and the stewards—had settled:
| Position | Driver | Team | Laps | Time/Retired | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 50 | 1:21:08.429 | 25 |
| 2 | George Russell | Mercedes | 50 | +23.546s | 18 |
| 3 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 50 | +30.488s | 15 |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 50 | +30.678s | 12 |
| 5 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 50 | +34.924s | 10 |
| 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | 50 | +45.257s | 8 |
| 7 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber | 50 | +51.134s | 6 |
| 8 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 50 | +59.369s | 4 |
| 9 | Esteban Ocon | Haas F1 Team | 50 | +60.635s | 2 |
| 10 | Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team | 50 | +70.549s | 1 |
| DNF | Alexander Albon | Williams | 35 | DNF | 0 |
| DNF | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber | 2 | DNF | 0 |
| DNF | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 0 | DNF | 0 |
| DSQ | Lando Norris | McLaren | 50 | DSQ | 0 |
| DSQ | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 50 | DSQ | 0 |
History Repeats: Disqualifications and the Shifting Sands of Fate
If you think disqualifications are a modern curse, think again. Formula 1’s annals are littered with tales of triumphs turned to ashes by the stewards’ pen. From Nelson Piquet and Keke Rosberg’s double DQ in Brazil 1982 to Alain Prost’s lost win at Imola in 1985, and Michael Schumacher’s infamous exclusions in 1994, the sport has always reserved the right to rewrite its own history.
The 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix now joins this illustrious list. Like the 2023 United States Grand Prix, where Hamilton and Leclerc were excluded for excessive plank wear, this race will be remembered not just for what happened on track, but for what was decided in the scrutineering bay.
The Title Race: All Bets Are Off
With two races and a sprint to go, the championship is wide open. Norris, once cruising to his maiden title, now faces a resurgent Verstappen and a teammate who, despite his recent form, is mathematically alive. The psychological blow of this disqualification cannot be overstated. In a sport where momentum is everything, McLaren must regroup or risk seeing their season unravel.
As history has shown—whether it’s Schumacher vs. Hill in 1994, Senna vs. Prost in 1989, or the Spygate saga of 2007—late-season drama is the lifeblood of Formula 1. The only certainty is uncertainty.
Waste a Bit More Time
If you’re not yet exhausted by the drama, here are some links to keep you entertained (and perhaps a little wiser):
- Winners and losers from F1’s Las Vegas Grand Prix – The Race
- Winners and losers from the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix – PlanetF1
- 2025 F1 Las Vegas GP: Winners and Losers – Sportskeeda
- The 2025 F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix WINNERS & LOSERS – YouTube
- Our 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix Race Review – YouTube
- #Formula1 2025 F1 Las Vegas GP: Winners and Losers – Facebook
