Five Winners, Five Losers: Las Vegas Grand Prix
- Elaina Russell
- 6 minutes ago
- 7 min read
The Las Vegas Grand Prix was supposed to be the calm before a two-race title crescendo. Instead, it detonated the championship. Max Verstappen stormed to victory under the Strip lights, McLaren lost both cars in the stewards’ room hours after the flag and the championship standings were thrown into a three-way fist fight.
Mercedes rediscovered podium pace, Ferrari split their fortunes and the midfield scrapped through treacherous conditions that punished hesitation. Vegas was carnage wrapped in neon.
Here are DIVEBOMB’s biggest winners and losers from a night that changed the course of the championship.
Winner - Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen arrived in Vegas needing a statement weekend and delivered just that, with the steely efficiency of a driver who refuses to go quietly. His launch off the line was decisive, slicing through Norris with the kind of authority that underlines his intent to drag himself back into the title fight by force. Once in clean air, Verstappen did what Verstappen does; controlled the race, built a gap, then managed the final stint with barely a heartbeat of discomfort.
What stood out most was not the win but the manner of it. Despite an evolving track, Verstappen never looked threatened. It was a performance rooted in experience, resilience and precision, reminiscent of past years when he’d seize control of a race and never return it.
It would be understandable if the Dutchman’s confidence had wavered in recent rounds amid Red Bull’s inconsistencies, but this victory no doubt restores the psychological balance. With both McLarens disqualified, his points haul became a season-defining swing. Verstappen leaves Vegas not merely alive in the championship but with momentum seeming to tilt in his favour.
Loser - McLaren
No team suffered more from Vegas’ late-night drama than McLaren. What looked like a manageable blow – Verstappen finishing ahead of both drivers – became a collapse when the FIA confirmed that both Norris and Piastri had been disqualified for excessive skid wear. The team stressed that the violation was unintentional, but intention is often not the crux of the issue when it comes to technical regulations.
For a championship-leading outfit, the error is seismic. McLaren have been admired all season for their clarity under pressure, their incremental gains and their ironclad operational control. To lose both cars on a technical infringement this late in the title race raises fair questions about risk management. Proactive, conservative set-up calls were the safer route on a bumpy street amid changing conditions.
The consequences? Norris’ lead is slashed to 24 points and Piastri’s advantage evaporates into a straight tie with Verstappen. McLaren now face the one thing they’ve avoided all season: doubt. The paddock knows they have the fastest car, but Vegas proved that the fastest car does not always produce the smartest weekend.
Winner - Kimi Antonelli
Kimi Antonelli’s Vegas performance will go down as one of his most complete drives yet. Starting from 17th, the 19-year-old displayed a level of racecraft and maturity that belied his experience. An early pit stop committed him to a long, demanding stint on the hard compound, the kind of strategic gamble that can expose a rookie. Instead, Antonelli flourished, balancing aggression with mechanical sympathy in a way that elevated him through the field.
Even the penalty for a false start, which many rookies may have allowed to derail their momentum, barely dented his composure. With the McLarens disqualified, his podium was confirmed for the third time this season, though it felt earned even before the stewards weighed in.
Loser - Gabriel Bortoleto
Gabriel Bortoleto’s rookie season has included flourishes of promise, but Vegas was a painful setback. His Turn 1 lock-up ended both his own race and that of Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, extinguishing any hope of building on the encouraging pace he’d shown earlier in the weekend. The mistake was not malicious, simply misjudged, but in a congested opening corner it carried heavy consequences.
The bigger frustration for Bortoleto will be the loss of mileage. As a rookie, every race matters, and two consecutive non-finishes have deprived him of the learning curve he needs to carry into the 2026 season. Through the pace earlier in the weekend suggested potential, the execution at lights out overshadowed the progress.
Winner - George Russell
George Russell produced a disciplined drive in Vegas, demonstrating that even under unpredictable circumstances Mercedes can be found edging back towards a more competitive nature. His opening laps were measured, avoiding the first-turn carnage while maintaining necessary momentum and proximity to the leaders. He also managed to navigate the shifting grip levels with finesse that was lacking from others, resisting the temptation to push too hard in the early stages.
The mid-race phase exposed his only miscalculation: a slightly early attempt to extract pace that induced tyre graining. Yet Russell recovered well, recalibrating his driving style and preserving enough tyre life to maintain pressure of the pack ahead.
Following the double DSQ of both Norris and Piastri, Russell inherited second place. Mercedes leave Vegas encouraged. Russell leaves Vegas emboldened.
Loser - Alpine
Alpine arrived in Vegas with one of their strongest cars in weeks and left with none of the results. The opening-lap accordion triggered by Bortoleto’s lunge was disastrous for both drivers. Pierre Gasly’s spin, followed by rear-end damage, eliminated any chance of capitalising on what had been a promising weekend. The car was wounded, the balance distorted and the pace evaporated.
Colapinto’s race, meanwhile, unravelled with a rear-impact from Alexander Albon that shredded the floor and diffuser of his machinery. Even light contact can be devastating on these cars and for Colapinto it condemned his evening to tyre slippage, imbalance and a brutal lack of grip. Both Alpine cars were compromised before the race had truly begun.
What makes Vegas such a painful loss is the squandered potential. Across practice and qualifying, Alpine carried legitimate pace. They looked set for a rare midfield scrap, yet left empty handed. The team are still searching for stability in their development path and weekends like this only deepen their frustration.
Winner - Carlos Sainz
Carlos Sainz was a quiet revelation in Vegas. His strong qualifying put him in the podium mix and although he lacked the outright firepower to stay with Verstappen, Norris, and Russell, he maximised every ounce of what the Williams had to offer. His opening stint was clean, race pace measured, and defensive work under pressure was excellent.
Williams continues to confound expectations with bursts of high-flying performances, even if the highs are isolated. Sainz remains the anchor of their campaign. In conditions that caught out more experienced drivers, he remained composed and error-free, securing a result that reinforces his value to a team still building.
Fifth place may not turn heads at first glance, but given the context it is among Sainz’s most complete drives of the season.
Loser - Aston Martin
Aston Martin’s race was over within seconds. Lance Stroll was simply in the wrong place at the wrong moment, collected through no fault of his own in the Turn 1 crash triggered by Bortoleto. His early exit deprived the team of data they desperately needed, especially on a circuit that amplifies their known weaknesses in straight-line speed.
Fernando Alonso wrestled an underpowered package into something resembling stability, but was ultimately unable to drag the car into the points. The AMR25’s limitations were laid bare as Alonso was repeatedly exposed on the straights and forced into a defensive race he could never fully control. His execution was tidy, but the tools were insufficient.
Aston Martin leave Vegas no wiser, no more competitive and with very little to show for a weekend that looked bleak before it even began. Their search for answers continues.
Winner - Haas
Haas continue their late-season surge and Vegas added another chapter to the trajectory. Oliver Bearman was electric off the line, launching himself into early contention before wrestling a difficult car through a turbulent first stint.
Teammate Esteban Ocon, meanwhile, delivered a race that deserved far more than it yielded. His battle with Hamilton was one of the highlights of the midfield, and his tyre management put him well inside the operational window that many others failed to hit.
Loser - Franco Colapinto
Franco Colapinto’s season has been defined by resilience in the face of persistent setbacks, but Vegas was another blow in a campaign where nothing seems to fall his way. Hit from behind by Albon in a chain reaction he couldn’t avoid, Colapinto’s car suffered significant floor and diffuser damage–the kind that quietly ruins a Grand Prix before it unfolds.
From that moment on he was fighting a car that simply refused to cooperate. The rear slid unpredictably, the balance deteriorated corner by corner and the tyres suffered as a consequence. Yet Colapinto kept the car on the road, minimised the time loss and avoided compounding the damage with mistakes.
Still, the outcome was bleak. Another race without points. Another weekend where his true performance was masked by circumstances. Another chapter in a season of frustration. The wait for his first point goes on.
