By Ben Langley
Formula 1 arrives in Las Vegas in the first of a triple-header to end the 2025 season. All eyes are on the championship battle as Lando Norris looks to take a step closer to his first world championship.
Norris leads Oscar Piastri by 24 points after back-to-back wins, plus a sprint victory in Brazil. His teammate on the other hand is in the worst form possible, failing to achieve a podium in his last five race weekends. Max Verstappen’s title charge could well be over after this weekend. The four-time champion sits 49 points behind Norris with three races remaining. If Norris outscores Verstappen by nine points this weekend, the Dutchman’s crown will be heading elsewhere.
The favourite for this weekend must be Norris after his incredible run of form of late. His closest challengers look likely to be the two previous winners of the Las Vegas Grand Prix since its return to the calendar. Verstappen looked the quickest driver in Brazil despite his pit-lane start and should challenge for victory this weekend. Another contender has to be George Russell. The cooler temperatures of the US night race works wonders for the Mercedes car, which was truly evident after Russell’s superb victory last year.
Aside from the championship battle, there are plenty of intriguing storylines that could go down to the wire. The fight for 2nd in the constructors is a fierce one. Mercedes’ strong weekend in Interlagos has opened up a 32-point lead over Red Bull in third. Ferrari dropped to 4th after a disastrous outing last time out and sit 36 points behind the Silver Arrows. However, Ferrari’s strong form in Las Vegas means they can’t be ruled out for a comeback to 2nd place.
Another tight encounter in the constructors championship is for 6th place. Twenty points separate four teams from 6th to 9th in the current standings. Racing Bulls currently hold 6th on 82 points, ten clear of Aston Martin on 72. Haas’ strong form could see them snatch 6th place at the end with the American team only 12 off Racing Bulls. Sauber’s total of 62 points means they can’t be ruled out of the fight just yet.
The various exciting storylines heading into this weekend means we look set for another thrilling spectacle that is fitting of the Las Vegas backdrop.
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