From Rain to Ruin:Max Wins, McLaren Loses It All
The 2025 Las Vegas weekend proved far more race-focused than show-oriented. Due to schedule shifts, teams faced conditions reminiscent of Australia, and it became clear already during practice that Mercedes would not be repeating last year’s dominance. Leclerc, Norris, and Russell topped the timesheets on different days, while qualifying turned into an unexpected lottery rain, a soaked street circuit, and minimal incidents.
McLaren delivered a pleasant surprise, whereas Ferrari once again “sank” on a wet track: Leclerc qualified only ninth, and Hamilton fo r the first time in his career ended up twentieth. The front row was locked out by Norris and Verstappen.
The race began aggressively: Max immediately passed Lando, Bortoleto eliminated Stroll, Gasly spun, and Antonelli received a penalty for a false start. This was followed by a series of overtakes, VSC periods, and early pit stops. Leclerc, Bearman, and Piastri steadily gained positions, while Verstappen maintained firm control of the pace.
After the mandatory pit stops, the order at the front stabilised: Verstappen led, followed by Norris and Russell. But after the chequered flag, a major twist emerged both McLaren cars were found to have excessive wear on the skid block. The result: a double disqualification for the team.
Max Verstappen claimed victory his sixth of the season and the 69th of his career. Next up: the Qatar Grand Prix.
Antonelli: +5 seconds for a false start McLaren: disqualification due to skid block wear Fastest lap: Verstappen 1:33.365
