Overview
- Post-race checks found both McLarens below the 9 mm skid-block minimum, triggering mandatory disqualifications, and the team issued an apology and launched a review.
- Max Verstappen won from second on the grid after Lando Norris outbraked himself at Turn 1, leading every lap to keep his title hopes alive.
- The updated standings leave Norris 24 points clear of both Oscar Piastri and Verstappen, with 58 points still available across Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
- Norris called his start mistake "pretty embarrassing" and said he must learn from it, as McLaren noted Verstappen left a large formation-lap gap that may have unsettled him without proving it was decisive.
- Title permutations now allow Norris to clinch in Qatar by outscoring his rivals by two points, while Verstappen likely needs near-perfect results plus further McLaren missteps.