Las Vegas: Norris now holds a 30-point lead over Piastri, with 58 points available from the final two rounds in Qatar, which includes a sprint, and Abu Dhabi.
A 26-point lead for Norris after Qatar will secure the championship. Under current standings, finishing ahead of Piastri and Max Verstappen in both Qatar races would be sufficient for Norris to seal the title.
The race turned decisively at turn one, where Max Verstappen launched strongly and moved ahead of pole-sitter Norris, who ran wide after attempting an aggressive defensive move. George Russell capitalised on the situation to take second. In dry conditions, the Red Bull package delivered far greater performance than during wet qualifying, allowing Max Verstappen to control the race from the front of the field.
The Las Vegas victory has reinforced Red Bull’s determination to compete until the final moments of the season. Max Verstappen now trails Norris by 42 points and realistically requires a setback for the McLaren driver to remain in the title race beyond Doha. The late-season push has nevertheless been remarkable. After falling 104 points behind Piastri following the Dutch Grand Prix,
Max Verstappen has collected four wins and three additional podium finishes in seven races, including a charge from the pit lane to third in Brazil. The tally of six victories this season marks an achievement that seemed out of reach at mid-season.
Norris has demonstrated composure throughout the weekend, delivering pole position in challenging wet conditions and maximising the race result while managing fuel usage in the closing laps. Piastri experienced difficulty at the start after contact with Liam Lawson resulted in a drop to seventh, but a well-executed undercut on Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc allowed a recovery to fourth.
Tyre graining concerns influenced strategy decisions, especially for McLaren after previous issues at the same venue. Russell attempted to pressure Max Verstappen early in the race but lacked the performance to challenge the Red Bull.
Pit stops unfolded with Piastri stopping on lap 22 to gain positions, followed by Norris on lap 23. Max Verstappen extended the first stint before pitting on lap 25 and maintaining track position with strong lap times despite older tyres.
Norris overtook Russell on lap 34 but could not reduce the gap to Max Verstappen, who continued setting fastest laps to secure victory. Piastri finished fourth, limiting the damage in the championship fight. Lewis Hamilton climbed from 19th to 10th, while Leclerc finished sixth behind Mercedes’ Antonelli.
Earlier in the day, Doriane Pin secured the 2025 F1 Academy championship after finishing fifth in the final race of the season, completing the campaign with four wins and eight podiums.
TOP PICKS | Zelenskyy weighs Ukraine talks with Trump on disputed peace plan
