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McLaren Disqualifications Recast F1 Title Race as Norris, Verstappen Head to Qatar

Norris can clinch in Lusail by outscoring the top-scoring rival by two points across the sprint and grand prix.

Overview

  • Max Verstappen seized on Lando Norris’s Turn 1 error to control the Las Vegas Grand Prix from the front before both McLarens were thrown out for excessive skid-block wear.
  • Post-race exclusions for Norris and Oscar Piastri reset the standings to a 24-point lead for Norris over both Verstappen and Piastri with two rounds and 58 points remaining.
  • Norris called his start mistake “pretty embarrassing” and vowed to learn, as McLaren downplayed claims Verstappen’s formation-lap gaps directly triggered the error.
  • McLaren issued a public apology for the technical breach and faces outside criticism, with Jos Verstappen branding the setup choice a “huge blunder.”
  • Attention turns to the Qatar sprint weekend with 33 points on offer, as Helmut Marko praises Verstappen’s pace yet warns his late fastest-lap pushes carry risk, and FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem touts Lusail’s growing significance.