With two races remaining in the season, the battle for the championship continues. While Lando Norris appeared to have taken a big step towards the world title by winning the Mexican and Brazilian Grands Prix then finishing second in Las Vegas this Sunday, his lead faded in the morning.
Indeed, the disqualification of his and Oscar Piastri’s McLaren (4th), decided by the FIA a few hours after the end of the race, completely changed the drivers’ rankings. Penalized for “excessive wear” on the floor of their single seat, which was less than the 9mm thickness recommended by the regulations, the two teammates missed the opportunity to definitively relieve tension.
The points haul they earned in Las Vegas, coupled with Verstappen’s win, reversed the dynamics of recent weeks. The Red Bull racer is now 24 points behind Norris in first place. Here he is level with Piastri who is still ahead of him thanks to a greater number of wins this season.
As a reminder, a maximum of 58 points will be handed out over the final two meetings of the F1 year: the Qatar GP (30 November) – which is also scheduled for a sprint race – and the Abu Dhabi GP (7 December).
On the French side, the best ranked driver remains Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls), now in 9th place just ahead of Nico Hülkenberg (Sauber). Esteban Ocon (Haas) and Pierre Gasly (Alpine) remain 16th and 18th respectively.
Driver rankings at the end of the Las Vegas GP
1. Lando Norris (GBR) 390 points
2. Oscar Piastri (AUS) 366
3. Max Verstappen (NED) 366
4. George Russell (GBR) 291
5. Charles Leclerc (Monday) 222
6. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) 149
7. Andrea Kimi Antonelli (ITA) 132
8. Alexander Albon (THA) 73
9. Isack Hadjar (FRA) 47
10. Nico Hulkenberg (GER) 45
11. Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP) 44
12. Oliver Bearman (GBR) 40
13. Fernando Alonso (ESP) 40
14. Liam Lawson (NZL) 36
15. Lance Stroll (CAN) 32
16. Esteban Ocon (FRA) 30
17. Yuki Tsunoda (JPN) 28
18.Pierre Gasly (FRA) 22
19. Gabriel Bortoleto (BRA) 19
20. Franco Colapinto (ARG) 0
21.Jack Doohan (AUS) 0
As for the manufacturer rankings, the latter will definitely return, and has been for several weeks, to McLaren. The British team largely remained in the lead despite both riders getting zero points in Las Vegas.
For the rest of the podium, Mercedes held sway in second and maintained a 32-point lead over Red Bull, still in the game thanks to Verstappen’s huge success.
Manufacturer rankings at the end of the Las Vegas GP
1. McLaren-Mercedes 786 points (Champion)
2.Mercedes 423
3. Red Bull 391
4. Ferrari 371
5. Williams-Mercedes 117
6. Bull Racing-Red Bull 86
7. Aston Martin-Mercedes 72
8. Haas-Ferrari 70
9. Sauber-Ferrari 64
10. Alpen-Renault 22
