Max Verstappen’s dramatic victory at the Las Vegas GP, combined with the shock post-race disqualifications of McLaren rivals Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri (for illegal skid blocks), has compressed the 2025 F1 title fight into a three-way, two-race sprint.
Verstappen now trails Norris by just 24 points and is level with Piastri on 366 points.
A total of 58 points remain available across the final two rounds in Doha (Qatar GP and Sprint) and Abu Dhabi.
Verstappen’s championship hopes, which appeared slim before the race, now depend on two key outcomes in the final two rounds:
Verstappen Must Sweep: To guarantee his fifth consecutive title, Verstappen must win all three remaining races (Qatar Sprint, Qatar GP, and Abu Dhabi GP), netting the maximum available 58 points.
Norris Must Stumble: If Verstappen sweeps, his total will be 424 points. He would then need Norris (currently on 390 points) to score 34 points or fewer across the remaining races.
If Norris finishes runner-up in both the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix, he will earn 36 points, potentially spoiling Verstappen’s perfect score even without the Sprint Race points.
The season is set for one of the most unpredictable conclusions in recent F1 history.
