It was as good as a done deal. Lando Norris’s second place in Las Vegas all but sealed the Englishman’s first Drivers' Championship as he sat 30 points clear of teammate Oscar Piastri and 42 points from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
A little over two hours later, a subfloor that was under the legal minimum of 9mm saw both McLarens disqualified and stripped of all race points in Sin City—music to Verstappen’s ears as the gap is slashed to just 24 points in search of his fifth Drivers’ Championship.
The F1 roadshow travels to Qatar as the second part of a final triple-header, and a crucial sprint race alongside the main event. With 58 points still on the table, it’s very much game on.
Reaction to the news has been explosive for the Driver’s Championship odds. As the chequered flag dropped at the Las Vegas GP, Norris was as short as 1/100 to win the title, and Verstappen, even with a win, drifted from 7/1 to 20/1.
Those odds have since gone out the window. Norris is still the favourite, but a more palatable 4/11 with Ladbrokes, and for Verstappen, he’s been slashed into 11/4 with 10Bet. Piastri has also been on the drift from 10/1 to 20/1, as he sits level on points (366) with Verstappen.
The question is now, can Max do the unthinkable and win a Drivers’ Championship, which was, at the summer break, simply about choosing which McLaren? Or will the Papayas hold firm over the last two races?
Latest F1 Drivers’ Championship Odds
It’s been a chaotic 24 hours in the world of F1, and the best F1 betting sites have been scrambling to readjust a market that was all but wrapped up. Below are the latest Driver’s Championship odds as we head into the penultimate race in Qatar.
*Odds correct at 10:00 GMT on 24/11/2025. Odds subject to change.
Verstappen’s Odds Show He Has the Momentum
It’s a testament to Verstappen’s pure talent that we’re even talking about a run at the Drivers’ Championship this season. RB21 has been worlds away from the car that saw him dominate the 2024 season with nine wins and 14 podiums. He’s struggled for rear grip at low speeds and understeered through the quick corners. A barbaric cocktail for an F1 car.
With just two races left (plus a sprint) and a 24-point gap, he’s right in the mix. If he were up against a seasoned winner, like Hamilton or Alonso, the gap would still be incredibly difficult to shorten.
But the fact that he’s chasing two drivers looking for their first championship win makes it seem a lot smaller than it is, and he’s got the momentum heading into a track he loves.
From the three races held at the Qatar Grand Prix so far, he’s won two (2023 and 2024) and finished P2 and P8 in the respective sprint races. The bookies are clearly concerned. Only Verstappen could be 24 points adrift and still 11/4 to win with just two races left.
The value in the market between Norris and Verstappen has to be with the Dutchman. The pressure that Lando now finds himself under, at a track where his best finish is third, with a P4 and P8 bookending that podium, must be palpable.
Prediction: Verstappen to win the Drivers’ Championship is the value play at 11/4 with Parimatch.
Is Everyone Sleeping on Piastri?
Coverage over the last 24 hours has been all about whether Max can catch Lando. But with Oscar level on points with Max, is he still in this title race?
If you asked the traders at Ladbrokes, they would tell you the Aussie is a mere outside chance, drifting the line from 10/1 to 20/1 after his DQ in Las Vegas. With no podium finish since the Italian Grand Prix in September, his title charge is slipping.
That said, what’s exciting about Piastri at 20/1 is that a dominant weekend in Qatar puts him right back in the mix. He’s got the car and the talent to do just that, he just needs to sync it together and get back to that dominating early-season form that saw him win five of the opening nine races.
Even if he’s got a sniff come the final race at Abu Dhabi GP in a little under a fortnight's time, that price will shorten.
Prediction: Small stake on Piastri at 20/1 and look to lay should odds shorten before the start of the Abu Dhabi GP.
