Overview
- FIA stewards disqualified both McLarens in Las Vegas for excessive plank wear below the 9 mm minimum, nullifying Norris’s on-track P2 and Piastri’s finish.
- The standings tighten with Lando Norris 24 points ahead, Max Verstappen level with Oscar Piastri, and 58 points available across Qatar’s sprint weekend and Abu Dhabi.
- Norris admitted he braked too late at Turn 1 from pole, ceding the lead to Verstappen, who controlled the race to win comfortably.
- Verstappen left a large formation‑lap gap that drew Norris’s radio complaints, though McLaren said it is unclear whether it contributed to the Turn 1 mistake.
- Norris can clinch the title in Qatar by outscoring his rivals by two points over the weekend, as McLaren apologises and conducts an internal review of its setup choices.