As the glittering lights of Las Vegas illuminated the circuit, five red lights went out and the action began.
Starting from the front row, Lando Norris briefly held the lead, but Max Verstappen wasted no time sweeping past him into Turn 1. Moments later, George Russell also overtook Norris, pushing the pole-sitter down to third in a frantic opening lap.
Early Chaos Strikes the Midfield
Further back, Gabriel Bortoleto misjudged his braking and collided with Lance Stroll, triggering a chain reaction that sent the rear of the pack into disarray. Stroll retired on the spot, and Bortoleto followed shortly after, prompting the first yellow flag of the evening.
There was more drama as Liam Lawson and Oscar Piastri made contact. Both continued, though the incident was placed under investigation.
When racing resumed, Charles Leclerc made rapid progress, climbing to sixth while Lewis Hamilton, recovering from the midfield chaos, pushed up to P12. Leclerc’s charge continued as he swept past Piastri and Hadjar to take fifth, while the front-running trio of Verstappen–Russell–Norris held steady.
Penalties Shake the Order
Mercedes junior Kimi Antonelli was handed a five-second penalty for a false start procedure, placing early pressure on his race strategy.
A later collision between Hamilton and Albon brought out a Virtual Safety Car, during which Piastri snatched another position from Hadjar as the race neutralised and resumed.
With 15 laps remaining, Norris reclaimed second place from Russell with an assertive move. Soon after, Albon retired in the pit lane, ending what had been a promising run.
Late-race Charge and Final-lap Drama
In the closing stages, Antonelli surged through the field, gaining 13 positions to cross the line in fourth on the road, only to be demoted by his earlier penalty. Hamilton also carved through the pack, gaining nine spots to finish inside the points.
Under the Vegas skyline, Max Verstappen took the chequered flag to keep his championship hopes alive.
Lando Norris finished second on the road, with Russell completing the podium.
2025 Las Vegas GP Race Results:
- Max Verstappen
- Lando Norris (+20.741)
- George Russell (+23.546)
- Oscar Piastri (+27.650)
- Kimi Antonelli (+30.488)
- Charles Leclerc (+30.678)
- Carlos Sainz (+34.924)
- Isack Hadjar (+45.257)
- Nico Hulkenberg (+51.134)
- Lewis Hamilton (+59.369)
- Esteban Ocon (+1’00.635)
- Oliver Bearman (+1’10.549)
- Fernando Alonso (+1’25.308)
- Yuki Tsunoda (+1’26.974)
- Pierre Gasly (+1’31.702)
- Liam Lawson (1 Lap)
- Franco Colapinto (1 Lap)
DNF – Alex Albon (15 Laps)
DNF – Gabriel Bortoleto (48 Laps)
DNF – Lance Stroll
Update: Double McLaren disqualification
Following technical inspections, both McLaren drivers were disqualified due to excessive plank wear. This reshuffled the final classification, promoting Russell to second and elevating Antonelli to the podium.
Catch up with the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix highlights here.
