F1 Results Today: Max Verstappen keeps title hopes alive after Lando Norris blunder at Las Vegas Grand Prix

Max Verstappen dominated the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Saturday night in Nevada to keep himself hanging on in the F1 title fight by his fingertips – but some post-race drama turned the weekend from good to great for the reigning champion.

The Dutchman cut into Lando Norris' championship lead thanks in part to an early mistake from the title favourite, but only by seven points thanks to the Brit cruising to a second placed finish, skimming the gap from 49 down to 42 as the chequered flag dropped.

However, post-race technical inspection of the cars revealed that both McLaren cars had worn their skid blocks down below legal levels, almost certainly resulting in their disqualification – and Norris' lead over Verstappen falling to just 24 points.

Had the original result stood, Norris would have extended his lead over team-mate Oscar Piastri to 30 points after a disappointing day for the Australian – but the pair now sit their original 24 points apart once again going into Qatar.

In the race itself, Verstappen got the better launch from the front row, prompting Norris to chop hard across him to keep his position – only to lock up into Turn 1 and give away his position not only to the Dutchman, but also George Russell, who later struggled on his tyres and faded to third (promoted to second after the DQs).

Further back, Liam Lawson also locked up his cold tyres into the first corner and nudged Piastri wide, dropping the Australian a couple of spots from his starting position of fifth.

Piastri fought his way back up to fifth on track by the end of the race, behind Kimi Antonelli – whose five-second penalty for a false meant that the pair swapped places after the chequered flag.

Antonelli had driven brilliantly after starting 17th, coaxing a set of hard tyres through a mammoth stint so well that he actually drove away from Charles Leclerc at the end of the race, gapping the Ferrari driver by the full five seconds needed to negate the impact of his penalty.

That looked like it would be a minor credit on the teenager's CV when the flag fell, earning him fifth instead of sixth when all was said and done, but the double disqualification for the McLarens meant that those late-race heroics earned Antonelli a second podium finish in as many races.

F1 Results: Las Vegas Grand Prix 2025

2025 rule change removes fastest lap point

Fastest lap points have been banished for 2025. Since 2019, drivers have picked up an extra point if they finish in the top 10 and achieve the fastest lap.

However, it did lead to some drivers abandoning their races to pit and fit a set of new tyres at the end in order to claim the fastest lap point, or to stop a rival from getting the extra point.

The most famous example of this in 2024 came during Daniel Ricciardo's final F1 race, when the Australian finished last but claimed the fastest lap on the final lap of the Singapore GP, taking the extra point away from Lando Norris and helping Max Verstappen's title bid.

Who is the current F1 world champion?

Max Verstappen is the reigning F1 champion, won his fourth drivers' championship last year.

F1 HEADLINES: Lewis Hamilton LAST as 'unacceptable' penalty slammed at Las Vegas GP

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