Jos Verstappen disagrees with what Max Verstappen said about Lando Norris after Las Vegas Grand Prix

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Max Verstappen is once again back in the 2025 F1 drivers’ title race after Lando Norris was disqualified from the Las Vegas Grand Prix, with 24 points now separating them.

Last Sunday’s Sin City showdown gave Norris his first chance to eliminate Verstappen from the 2025 F1 drivers’ championship fight. But Verstappen left Nevada nearer to the top of the standings than he has been since he left Imola in round 7/24 just 22 points shy of first place.

Verstappen comfortably won the Las Vegas GP, having judged his pace to deny Mercedes’ George Russell and McLaren’s Norris a chance to fight him for the victory. McLaren enduring a double disqualification in Las Vegas then further boosted Verstappen’s title hopes, as well.

Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri were disqualified from the 2025 Las Vegas GP as the skid blocks on their cars were found to be below the minimum thickness of 9mm specified under Article 3.5.9 of the technical regulations. Norris had finished P2, and Piastri had finished P4.

Jos Verstappen feels Lando Norris was ‘too aggressive’ at the start of the Las Vegas GP

McLaren’s double disqualification from the Las Vegas GP puts Verstappen firmly back in the F1 title fight with two rounds to play in Qatar and Abu Dhabi. The Red Bull star was already set to outscore his title rivals in Sin City before Norris and Piastri lost their results, as well.

READ MORE: McLaren driver Lando Norris’ life outside F1 from parents to celebration

Verstappen took the lead at the start of the Las Vegas GP after Norris misjudged his braking point for Turn 1. Norris secured pole position for the Las Vegas GP but, in fear of losing the lead to Verstappen from P2 on the grid, he aggressively swept across to take the inside line.

Max’s father, Jos Verstappen, believes Norris was “too aggressive” with his move, as the 26-year-old risked taking them both out of the Las Vegas GP. Verstappen Jr instantly backed off as Norris cut across and took a wider line for T1, which ultimately meant he gained the lead.

Jos Verstappen said, via quotes by Motorsport-Total: “That was too aggressive. It was a close call between the two cars, and then both would have been out of the race.

“The problem is that Lando is only focused on Max, Max, Max, but simply forgets to brake for the first corner. Max braked at least five metres earlier.”

Max Verstappen would have done the same as Lando Norris at the start of the Las Vegas GP

But while Jos Verstappen thinks Norris was “too aggressive” at the start of the Las Vegas GP, Max Verstappen admitted after the race that he would have done the same thing as his title rival had he started from pole. The run from pole to Turn 1 in Sin City is only 150 metres.

READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

Max said, via quotes by F1i: “That’s what you should do to cover off, of course, the inside. I think it’s very easy to get caught out with where you have to brake.

“Also, because normally at the start you leave the grid and then you look in the mirror. But here, it’s almost like you don’t have a lot of time to look in the mirror because you immediately have to brake again. And it’s quite slippery anyway.”

While the start of the Las Vegas GP ultimately did not matter as Norris was disqualified from his P2 result after the race, he will learn from it. The Briton will know that had he braked just a bit earlier, he likely would have stayed in front of Verstappen and proven he will not yield.

Second place in Sin City was also still set to see Norris take a 30-point lead over Piastri and a 42-point lead over Verstappen to the penultimate race of the 2025 F1 season in Qatar. But Verstappen is now within just a Grand Prix win of retaining the title for a fifth straight year.