The 2025 Formula 1 season has entered its most intense phase. One week after a highly eventful São Paulo Grand Prix, the paddock now heads to Las Vegas, with only three races left to decide the world championship.

São Paulo: Norris on Fire, Verstappen Against the Odds

The Brazilian Grand Prix, held on November 9–10 at Interlagos, delivered exactly what fans were hoping for.

Lando Norris enjoyed a flawless weekend: victory in the Sprint race on Saturday, followed by another win on Sunday. With this impressive double, the McLaren driver extends his lead in the standings and approaches the final stretch in a strong position.

Behind him, Andrea Kimi Antonelli produced a standout performance, finishing second in his Mercedes. Race after race, the young Italian proves that he is becoming a key player.

Starting from the pit lane after a difficult qualifying session, Max Verstappen put together a remarkable comeback drive. The 4th time world champion climbed through the field lap by lap to secure third place. He minimizes the damage in the championship fight, although the gap to Norris remains significant heading into Las Vegas.

A red Ferrari disaster

While some left Brazil with smiles on their faces, Ferrari had a terrible day.

Charles Leclerc, caught up in an incident involving Piastri and Antonelli during the first restart, retired in the early laps. Lewis Hamilton, who was hit by Colapinto at the start, was unable to get the most out of his car. Between damage to the floor, a lack of pace, and a 5-second penalty, the team had no choice but to end his race.

The result: a double retirement and a disastrous accounting operation in the fight for second place in the constructors’ championship. Ferrari even fell to fourth place, overtaken by Mercedes and Red Bull.

Las Vegas: A unique night race.

Now the focus shifts to the Las Vegas Grand Prix, the third edition of this event held right in the heart of the city. It will be the 22nd round of the 24-race 2025 calendar, making it a key turning point in the season.

The cars will run on a modern street circuit built from existing city roads. Its layout stands out for its sharp, angular profile, closer to traditional urban tracks than to the new-generation designs found in places like Miami or Jeddah. One of the defining features of the circuit is its long flat-out section of nearly two kilometres along the Strip, complemented by two additional long straights that reward top speed and low-downforce setups.

Another particularity of this round is that it takes place at night, with cooler temperatures than most Grands Prix. Conditions that will make tyre warm-up especially challenging. As for the schedule, the race will start at 5:00 AM Central European Time, an unusual timeslot that reinforces the unique character of this Las Vegas weekend.

Las Vegas: The Championship race

Heading into Las Vegas, Max Verstappen trails Lando Norris by 49 points.
After this Grand Prix, only two rounds will remain on the calendar:

• Qatar, a sprint weekend offering up to 33 points,
• and Abu Dhabi, a standard Grand Prix with 25 points for the winner.

In total, 58 points will still be available after Las Vegas. The situation is clear:

• if Verstappen leaves Nevada 58 points behind Norris or more, he will be mathematically eliminated from the title fight;
• and as long as the gap stays below 58 points, the championship remains open for the final two races.

One thing is certain: Norris cannot be crowned in Las Vegas. Even in the extreme scenario where the British driver wins while both Piastri and Verstappen fail to score, his advantage would still not be enough. The maximum lead he could build after this Grand Prix would remain below the 58 points still available across the final two rounds.

In other words, the title can only be decided from the Qatar Grand Prix onwards, held from 28–30 November.

A High-Pressure End to the Season

After a chaotic weekend in São Paulo and ahead of a Qatar–Abu Dhabi finale that promises fireworks, Las Vegas could play a decisive role in shaping the momentum of the championship.

Norris arrives with the advantage, Verstappen can no longer afford mistakes, and the teams fighting for constructors’ positions know that a single bad weekend could flip the standings.

Next stop: the Vegas night race.