Max Verstappen won the Las Vegas Grand Prix with a dominant performance, finishing nearly 20 seconds ahead of championship leader Lando Norris. Verstappen's victory came after an opening-lap mistake by Norris, who started from pole position.
Norris, admitting he was "too punchy," made an aggressive defensive move that compromised his race and allowed Verstappen to take the lead, with George Russell also passing him. Despite Norris eventually regaining second place on lap 34, he fell short of winning the race.
Nevertheless, Norris maintains a significant lead in the championship standings with 408 points, 30 points ahead of his teammate Oscar Piastri. Max Verstappen's win moved him to 366 points, closing the gap to 42 points behind Norris.
With only two races remaining, the Qatar Grand Prix (including a sprint race) and the season finale in Abu Dhabi, Norris is in a strong position to win his maiden championship. He needs only moderate results, while his rivals would require exceptional circumstances to overtake him.
George Russell finished third for Mercedes, with Oscar Piastri coming fourth after a penalty dropped Kimi Antonelli to fifth. Verstappen expressed satisfaction with his win and acknowledged the season's trajectory, stating the final outcome would be determined after Abu Dhabi.
