The betting odds surrounding the 2025 Formula 1 drivers’ championship have taken a hit following the dramatic disqualification of the McLaren team after the Las Vegas Grand Prix. While Lando Norris remains at the top of the standings going into the Qatar race week, Max Verstappen’s current form sees him closer in both points and odds.
Leading sportsbooks have adjusted their lines after the championship battle blew wide open in Sin City. Norris is currently listed at -310 with a strong likelihood of a championship win according to DraftKings. But the dominance he once had in the market has been whittled down following the Red Bull driver’s victory under the lights of the Strip.
Verstappen’s odds have shortened to +225 with just two races remaining.
This stemmed mostly from the disqualification of Norris and his team-mate Oscar Piastri. After the drivers finished second and fourth, the FIA found that the floor planks of both cars had worn beyond the permitted tolerance, resulting in both drivers losing their points haul.
“During the race, both cars experienced unexpected, high levels of porpoising not seen in the practice sessions, which led to excessive contact with the ground,” team principal Andrea Stella said following the news before he apologised to his drivers.
Lando Norris, McLaren
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / LAT Images via Getty Images
“We apologise to Lando and Oscar for the loss of points today, at a critical time in their championship campaigns after two strong performances from them all weekend. As a team, we also apologise to our partners and fans, whose support means so much.
“While this outcome is extremely disappointing, we remain fully focused on the last two races of the season.”
Norris now sits just 24 points ahead of both his Dutch rival and team-mate with 390 points.
Piastri, who has seen a drop in performance since his crash at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, now shows odds of +1800. While he’s still in contention for the championship, his success now relies heavily on something going wrong for Norris.
The circus now heads to the Losail International Circuit for the Qatar Grand Prix where both McLaren drivers will be wanting to put this error behind them. Verstappen enters the final two races with confidence.
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