Six unforgettable Las Vegas Grand Prix moments including McLaren’s double disqualification

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The Las Vegas Grand Prix debuted on the Formula 1 calendar in 2023 with a big bang, so F1 Oversteer takes a look at six of the most unforgettable moments from Sin City.

It barely took nine minutes for the inaugural Las Vegas GP to begin dominating headlines for action on the track in the first practice session. A spotlight was also on the iconic Vegas Strip long before a car touched the road as Formula 1 took up the role of the promoter itself, too.

F1 and owners Liberty Media had never previously worked as a race promoter but dug deep to purchase land in Las Vegas to stage a Grand Prix. The race is one of an increasing number of events staged at night, too, resulting in unusually cold temperatures for an F1 Grand Prix.

The cold conditions for the inaugural Las Vegas GP in 2023 were also in stark contrast to the intense heat that F1 faced when the series visited Nevada in 1981 plus 1982 for the Caesars Palace Grand Prix. Drivers endured highs of 99°F (37°C) as F1 raced in the hotel’s car parks.

So, with that in mind, F1 Oversteer takes a look at six of the most unforgettable moments that Formula 1 has witnessed through the brief history of the Las Vegas Grand Prix to date.

Carlos Sainz hit a drain cover in FP1 at the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix

Formula 1 hoped to dominate headlines in 2023 by making the debut Las Vegas GP its latest showpiece event. But the attention the race received after just nine minutes of first practice was not what F1 had coveted as a drain cover hit Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari and destroyed his car.

The downforce Formula 1 cars – especially in the ground-effect era – generate pulled it free. Sainz’s Ferrari sustained substantial damage from the drain cover, and he was infuriated for months after also receiving a 10-place grid penalty having had to change parts of his engine.

Ferrari had no choice but to replace the battery, ICE and control electronics – dealing Sainz’s race a big blow. Even McLaren CEO Zak Brown felt Sainz’s penalty at the 2023 Las Vegas GP was ‘unfair’ as it was out of Ferrari’s control but the FIA did not have a force majeure clause.

Ultimately, the penalty even cost Sainz the chance to fight over the race win at the 2023 Las Vegas GP. The Spaniard was the second-fastest driver over qualifying as teammate Charles Leclerc took pole position by just 0.044 seconds. Sainz recovered to finish the race in sixth.

Bruce Buffer introduced Sergio Perez in a toe-curling presentation at the 2023 Las Vegas GP

The Las Vegas Grand Prix joined the calendar in F1’s quest to further captivate the American market alongside the Miami Grand Prix and the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. F1 even hired iconic UFC announcer Bruce Buffer to introduce the drivers before the 2023 race.

But Buffer proceeded to produce one of the most awkward moments of the entire season as he introduced a bewildered Sergio Perez. The Mexican, who already enjoyed vast support in the USA, could not hide his confusion as the Red Bull star stood perplexed alongside Buffer.

Buffer did his usual antics normally seen when introducing UFC fighters in an octagon as the F1 pilots arrived on the grid for the pre-race driver parade. But someone forgot to tell Perez what the procedure would be and he stood beside Buffer likely expecting to be interviewed.

It was only once Buffer continued to reel off the drivers’ names with Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen that Perez realised that he ought to get in the car waiting to take him around the circuit. It was one toe-curling moment in what was already a very cringeworthy pantomime.

Max Verstappen received a penalty for forcing Charles Leclerc off in the 2023 Las Vegas GP

Throughout his Formula 1 career, controversy has regularly loomed large about the way that Verstappen manages his wheel-to-wheel racing – and the subject reared its ugly head at the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix in 2023 when the Red Bull driver rivalled Leclerc off the grid.

Sainz receiving a controversial grid penalty following his incident with a drain cover put Red Bull’s Verstappen on the front row beside pole-sitter Leclerc at the 2023 Las Vegas GP. But it was not long before the Dutchman was trying to get the lead from second place off the line.

With the racing line being on the outside of the circuit, Verstappen easily took control of the inside line for Turn 1 as the Red Bull driver got the superior launch to Leclerc. But it was not enough for the Dutchman, who drove his Ferrari rival off the road to ensure he did not reply.

The lack of grip played a small part in Verstappen going deep into T1 but he made no efforts to stay on the track, let alone leave room for Leclerc. So, the race stewards dealt Verstappen a five-second time penalty after Red Bull opted against telling their driver to yield the place.

It looked like the penalty would hurt Verstappen, too, as he could not pull away from Leclerc before serving the Red Bull racer’s punishment at his first stop. Leclerc even took the lead of the 2023 Las Vegas GP back from Verstappen on Lap 16 of 50 before the Dutchman pitted.

But the tide swung in Verstappen’s favour when he and Leclerc removed their medium tyres for hard-compound Pirelli rubber. The Dutchman flew past the Monegasque to regain P1 on Lap 37 and went on to win by 2.070 seconds, as Leclerc finished his race holding Perez off.

Lewis Hamilton produced a captivating comeback in the 2024 Las Vegas GP

The lack of grip the Las Vegas Strip Circuit gave for its inaugural Grand Prix in 2023 created unforgettable moments and problems for F1 drivers. Sainz recovered from his Turn 1 spin to finish in P6, as Esteban Ocon and Lance Stroll took P4 plus P5 from P16 plus P19 on the grid.

Yet it was a mistake, rather than a lack of grip, which saw Lewis Hamilton qualify in only P10 for the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix. The Mercedes racer locked up in the middle sector on his provisional run before suffering a snap of oversteer at T3 which saw his time get deleted.

After also sending the Briton out in traffic for his second run in Q3, Mercedes apologised to Hamilton after qualifying for the 2024 Las Vegas GP. The Silver Arrows clearly had a fast car in Sin City as teammate George Russell got pole position ahead of Ferrari’s Sainz by 0.098s.

But after 50 laps of racing, the gap between Russell and Hamilton was just 7.313 seconds as Mercedes secured a one-two finish in Las Vegas. Hamilton produced a drive for the ages for what was his final Grand Prix podium as a Mercedes driver before replacing Sainz at Ferrari.

Hamilton believed ‘it would have been a breeze’ for him to win the 2024 Las Vegas GP if not for his disappointing qualifying result. The Briton initially bided his time to avoid destroying his medium tyres but started to scythe through the field while the opening stint progressed.

Oscar Piastri, Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly could not put up any form of defence, and that same fate befell Norris after Hamilton pitted for hard compound tyres. Another set of hards also proved decisive as Hamilton burst past Sainz, Verstappen and Leclerc to move up to P2.

Max Verstappen won his fourth F1 title in the 2024 Las Vegas GP, despite finishing P5

McLaren driver Lando Norris fought back through the middle of the 2024 F1 season to emerge as a title rival to Red Bull racer Verstappen, in the most thrilling championship battle for years.

The 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix would ultimately decide that year’s drivers’ title in Verstappen’s favour, though.

Norris had to finish ahead of Verstappen in the Las Vegas GP if he wanted to remain in with a chance for the 2024 championship, but the Briton qualified behind the Dutchman.

Verstappen kept his title rival behind him in a race where Norris struggled with the cooler temperatures in his McLaren to take his fourth consecutive championship.

Despite Norris finishing in a distant sixth place with a 26.803-second margin to the Red Bull ahead, he still took the fastest lap bonus point.

The bonus point ensured Norris and Verstappen took equal points in the 2024 Las Vegas GP, but it was not enough for the Briton to delay the Dutchman’s coronation.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri suffered McLaren’s first-ever double disqualification in Las Vegas

One year on from seeing Verstappen end his title hopes in the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix, Norris returned to Sin City leading the 2025 F1 drivers’ championship.

Norris arrived in Las Vegas leading his McLaren teammate Piastri by 30 points atop the 2025 standings, while Verstappen sat 49 adrift of the Briton in third place.

But Verstappen destroyed Norris’ advantage atop the 2025 standings with victory in that year’s Las Vegas GP, as McLaren endured their first-ever double disqualification.

Norris and Piastri were disqualified from their P2 and P4 finishes in the 2025 Las Vegas GP, as post-race scrutineering revealed both McLaren drivers had sustained excessive wear to their underfloor skid planks.

The FIA’s post-race checks found Norris’ plank to be below the minimum thickness of 9mm as defined under Article 3.5.9 of the F1 technical regulations at the right-hand front (8.88mm) and right-hand rear (8.93mm).

Piastri’s skid block was also found below the minimum thickness at the left-hand front (8.96mm), right-hand front (8.74mm) and right-hand rear (8.90mm).

Verstappen had already breezed to victory by 20.741 seconds ahead of Norris to reduce his lead by seven points atop the standings, while Piastri came home 27.650s behind the Red Bull racer.

McLaren’s double disqualification from the 2024 Las Vegas GP moved Verstappen level on points with Piastri, and just 24 behind Norris, with two rounds to go.

Norris managed to weather Verstappen’s storm and score just enough points over the Qatar Grand Prix and Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to win the 2025 F1 drivers’ title by a mere two points.