Verstappen wins big in Vegas as McLaren disqualified

FORMULA One world champion Max Verstappen produced a masterful drive to win the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Saturday, with his title hopes boosted further after the McLarens of championship leader Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were both disqualified.

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Norris had finished second on the track, with Piastri fourth, but the skid blocks on both cars were found after the race to be below the minimum depth.

The disqualifications mean that with two race weekends remaining, four-time defending champion Ver-stappen is now level on points with Piastri in the title race, just 24 points behind Norris. However, Verstappen's chances of a fifth successive title will depend on another slip-up from Norris or his McLaren team.

With a maximum of 58 points available in the final two GPs, the Briton needs only to outscore his rivals by two points in next weekend's penultimate round in Qatar, which includes a sprint, to secure his first title.