On a dramatic night street circuit beneath the neon of the Las Vegas Strip, Max Verstappen claimed a decisive victory at the F1 Las Vegas GP, reasserting his championship ambitions as both McLaren drivers were disqualified.
From the start, Verstappen seized the initiative when Lando Norris ran wide at Turn 1, then controlled the race from there. Post-race, both McLarens were disqualified for excessive plank wear, moving Verstappen to just 24 points behind championship leader Norris and level on points with Oscar Piastri heading into the final two rounds.
Verstappen seized the opportunity
Following the race, Verstappen praised Red Bull’s tyre management, noting that the controlled approach unlocked extra pace around the Las Vegas Strip.
“Yeah, it was good. I mean, of course like in practice, not really knowing what the tyres were going to do. Even in the race, I think you could see everyone just trying to find a rhythm, seeing how much you could push, especially in the first stint because you’re on the more fragile tyre. And yeah, it worked really well.
“I mean, normally the race is always a tough one for us. We are normally not that great on tyres. But today it seemed like we had that a bit more under control and I could push a little bit more. That just unlocked a bit more pace. I could stay out a bit longer and split, basically, the race in half. And yeah, that definitely helped a lot. The car was working pretty well, much more to my liking. And yeah, then it was, at the end, quite a decent gap. But yeah, it was just every lap feeling comfortable and not taking too much out of the tyre.”
Taking each opportunity, race by race
Originally, Verstappen sat 42 points behind Norris at the conclusion of the F1 Las Vegas GP. With the disqualification, Verstappen earned an extra 25 points while Norris lost 15, shrinking the gap to 24 points and putting the championship within closer reach. Verstappen praised his team for staying strong through the ups and downs of the season.
“Yeah, I think that’s the better approach. I mean, it’s still a big gap. But, you know, we always try to just maximise everything that we’ve got. And this weekend, that was first. Yeah, the upcoming weekends we’ll again try to win the race. And at the end of Abu Dhabi, we’ll see where we end up. But I’m very proud of everyone. You know, we’ve had a really up and down season and tough times, but also really beautiful moments. And we learned a lot throughout the whole season, and that’s also very valuable for the upcoming years.
“So that’s something that we just have to cling on to and [we’ll] just try to improve even more to come back stronger for next year, to put up a fight from the start of the year in the championship. But we’re enjoying it now, and then we’ll see next week what we can do again.”
Getting the lead into Turn 1
Verstappen also set the fastest lap on the last lap of the F1 Las Vegas GP, demonstrating his commanding pace at the front. He explained that a strong first stint helped the second stint feel easier.
“Yeah. Well, I mean, it helped, of course, to get into the lead in Turn 1. I do think in the first stint, we were all finding our feet a bit with how much to push or not, how much we had to manage, because I do think we were all quite close up until the pit stops. So we were just trying to get a good balance, because we didn’t really get to have a good understanding on Thursday.
“But yeah, it felt better than expected, I would say, already on that compound. And then, when we got onto the hard compound, I think already because we did quite a decent first stint, it made the second stint a little bit easier. But even there, you have to also make sure that you don’t overcook it with the tyre. But yeah, we did well. Good communication with the pit wall as well. So yeah, actually very enjoyable, very nice, relaxed. So it was great.”
Thinking back to the start of the race, Verstappen added:
“Yeah. I mean, that’s what you should do to cover off the inside. But I think it’s very easy to get caught out with where you have to brake also, because normally in the start, you leave the grid and then you look in the mirror. But here, it’s almost like you don’t have a lot of time to look in the mirror because you immediately have to brake again. And it’s quite slippery anyway. So yeah, I guess that’s what happened.”
Consistency on track
After earlier frustrations with terrible races like Bahrain and Hungary, a newfound consistency with the car was noted by Verstappen, a factor that has allowed podium finishes to be regularly secured. The performance improvement came after a period in 2024–2025 where the team often struggled to reach the podium, highlighting the challenges faced in adapting to evolving car setups and competitive rivals.
“Well, we have been more consistent on the podium, let’s say like that. Some races we’ve not been in contention for the win, but from, I would say, the middle of ’24 until the middle of ’25, we were more probably off the podium than on. And now, at least, we are always fighting for a second or a third place, but at least on the podium, and that’s already, for us, I think a very good step forward.
“I think that should have been the case from the start, of course, if you want to really fight for a title. But yeah, unfortunately, we didn’t get it right in the beginning, but at least now it’s more consistent and sometimes, yeah, it’s good enough then to win.”
Reflecting on the season
Verstappen’s approach to prioritising enjoyment over championship calculations was particularly evident in his celebration after winning the F1 Las Vegas GP, adding “Yeah. Just trying to enjoy, have a good time, and when you can win, you try to win.”
Verstappen explained why this victory felt especially rewarding compared to the more straightforward successes of 2023:
“It’s because they don’t come as easy as ’23. So in ’23, it was more like ticking boxes. Now it’s not like that, and we come from a very tough period, already last year. This year, it’s been annoying at some stages as well. Everyone, of course, was not happy with the performances. And then, yeah, to still have this kind of end to the season for us is amazing. So you need to enjoy that because it’s a big motivational boost for everyone. And that’s why—it works the same for me.”
