Was the Las Vegas Grand Prix a true reflection of driver skill, or were luck and circumstance the real winners? Max Verstappen's victory seemed decisive, but the disqualifications of both McLaren drivers threw the championship battle into chaos. Our expert judges have weighed in with their Power Rankings, and the results might surprise you. Let's dive into who truly impressed in Sin City, beyond just the final finishing order.
But first, a quick reminder of how these rankings work:
Our panel of five seasoned Formula 1 judges meticulously analyzes each driver's performance after every Grand Prix. They score each driver out of 10, focusing solely on their execution and driving prowess, aiming to remove the car's inherent performance advantage from the equation as much as possible. Think of it as judging the chef, not just the ingredients. The judges' scores are then averaged to determine a race score. These individual race scores accumulate throughout the season, forming our overall Power Rankings leaderboard. You can find the full season leaderboard here: [https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/tags/power-rankings.699Peq5SC9zNGvwCkb1ln6]
Here's how the top performers stacked up in Las Vegas:
1. Max Verstappen: After overtaking pole-sitter Lando Norris, who went wide at Turn 1, Verstappen never relinquished the lead, securing his sixth victory of the 2025 season. While George Russell briefly applied pressure in his Mercedes, Verstappen ultimately cruised to a dominant win, finishing over 20 seconds ahead of the competition. The disqualifications of Norris and Piastri significantly tightened the championship race. Verstappen is now tied on points with Piastri and only 24 points behind Norris. The title fight is far from over, with two Grands Prix and a Sprint race still remaining. You can read more about Verstappen's Vegas triumph here: [https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/las-vegas-lowdown-all-the-key-moments-as-verstappen-triumphs-and-mclaren.1vvPqAVOfdjrNwHo9eznE4]
2. Kimi Antonelli: Starting from a lowly P17 after a disastrous qualifying session and incurring a five-second penalty for moving slightly before the lights went out, Antonelli delivered a truly remarkable performance. The Formula 1 rookie made a bold strategic call, switching to hard tires on the second lap and completing the remaining 48 laps on that set. He climbed to fourth place, skillfully holding off Piastri. While the penalty initially dropped him behind at the finish line, the McLaren disqualification elevated him to an unexpected podium finish. This drive showcased his maturity and tire management skills beyond his years.
3. Lando Norris: Securing his seventh pole position of the season in challenging conditions seemingly put Norris in a prime position to potentially grasp his maiden Drivers' World Championship. But here's where it gets controversial... Norris aggressively defended his lead against Verstappen at the start, but ran wide at Turn 1, falling behind Verstappen and Russell. After overtaking Russell, he settled into a comfortable second place until the final laps, when he slowed significantly. The team cited concerns about skid block wear as the reason for the pace reduction, a decision that ultimately proved irrelevant due to the subsequent disqualification. This disqualification could have significant implications for the championship. Was the team overly cautious, or was there a genuine risk of further penalty? And this is the part most people miss... some argue that Norris' aggressive start, while exciting, ultimately cost him the win. What do you think?
4. Carlos Sainz: Another strong qualifying performance on a low-downforce, high-speed circuit, reminiscent of Baku, saw Sainz start third. He eventually finished fifth after the McLaren disqualifications. He lost a position to Russell at the start but managed to hold off faster cars like Leclerc and Piastri during the initial stint. While he slipped behind them after the pit stops, the McLaren penalties promoted him. This marked his second-best result of the season, following his podium finish in Baku, and he finished over 10 seconds ahead of Hadjar.
5. Nico Hulkenberg: After narrowly missing out on Q3 and starting P11, Hulkenberg opted for a contrasting strategy, starting on hard tires while those ahead used mediums. This extended first stint proved advantageous, allowing him to rejoin the race in P9. He maintained his position and ultimately finished seventh. These consecutive points finishes have brought Kick Sauber closer to Aston Martin and Haas in the Constructors' Championship.
6. George Russell: Despite battling a steering issue from the early laps, Russell managed to finish second. The Mercedes driver jumped ahead of Norris at the start and even challenged Verstappen during the first stint. However, pushing too hard in the second stint damaged his tires, allowing Norris to reclaim second place. With McLaren's impending issues, second place was secured.
7. Isack Hadjar: Flying somewhat under the radar, Hadjar secured more points for Racing Bulls, marking consecutive scoring finishes. He qualified P8 but gained several positions at the start, initially finding himself in fifth before being overtaken by Piastri and Leclerc. After his single pit stop, he maintained a consistent pace to solidify Racing Bulls' sixth position in the Teams' Championship.
8. Charles Leclerc: Despite struggling in wet qualifying, Leclerc delivered a strong recovery drive, narrowly missing out on a podium finish by just two-tenths of a second. Starting P9 and narrowly avoiding an incident at the first corner, Leclerc overtook Bearman, Piastri, Hadjar, and Sainz. However, a less-than-ideal strategy placed him behind Piastri, hindering his progress. He was eventually classified fourth.
9. Oscar Piastri: Starting fifth, Piastri lost ground at the first corner after contact from Liam Lawson. After Lawson's issue on lap two, Piastri regained his position but later fell behind Leclerc. A successful pit stop sequence allowed him to move back ahead. However, he was stuck behind Antonelli and ultimately disqualified from fourth place. The potential 30-point gap to Norris is now reduced to 24 as they head to Qatar.
10. Esteban Ocon: Ocon quietly raced on the fringes of the top 10 for much of the race, starting P13 and finishing just outside the points in P11. McLaren's double disqualification helped move Ocon and his Haas teammate, Bearman, into the points, also pushing Haas ahead of Aston Martin in the Teams' Championship by a single point.
Missing Out:
Ollie Bearman narrowly missed a place in the top half of this week's Power Rankings. He ran in the points early in the race and even re-overtook Fernando Alonso before finishing tenth.
Now it's your turn to weigh in! Do you agree with our judges' assessments? Were there any drivers who were unfairly ranked, either too high or too low? And what are your thoughts on the McLaren disqualifications – a harsh but fair penalty, or an overzealous application of the rules? Let us know your opinions in the comments below!
