2025 Formula 1 Race of the Year: Las Vegas Grand Prix

While the season delivered multiple standout drives and regular interference from rivals such as George Russell and Charles Leclerc, Las Vegas marked the moment everything changed. Something that Editor in Chief Paul Velasco and Editor Jad Mallak agree on.

Max Verstappen claimed victory on the streets of Nevada, but it was the disqualification of McLaren that transformed the title fight. For the first time since the summer break, it became clear that Verstappen’s comeback was not theoretical but real. The race flipped the momentum, belief, and pressure.

While São Paulo delivered drama and heroics, Las Vegas reshaped the championship trajectory. It triggered Verstappen’s charge and exposed McLaren’s fragility. From a narrative and sporting perspective, no race mattered more in 2025.

Jad Mallak: "We have to say the overall season was an interesting one, the fight between Max and the McLarens, and the likes of Russell and Leclerc sometimes crashing the party. It was a very nice season to follow and report on.

"For me, I think race of the year has to be Las Vegas again, and this is going to be the second year in a row. Forget about all the gimmicks that we get at US races, you know, Lego cars, Mickey Mouse jumping on a podium, this kind of crap. Put that aside.

"Let's try to forget that and focus on that Grand Prix. And I'm not talking the racing itself. The result of that race, its outcome, was a pivotal point in the championship, because at that point, Max won the race, but then McLaren got disqualified, and the suddenly, for the first time since the summer break Max and everyone watching F1 realized that he really has a serious chance to win the championship. And for that, I believe, you know, Las Vegas was a great race.

"We've got Sao Paulo. Sao Paulo always delivers with the weather, with the rain, and, you know, it's a classic track. It's a beautiful track. It included the drive that Max delivered from from the pit lane to the podium. Massively impressive.

"But I think from how the narrative developed after Las Vegas, I believe that race should be awarded race of the year."

Paul Velasco: " Yeah, I'll tell you why. I'm not going to disagree with you, is because I really struggled for race in the year, because every race at max won was the race of the year for me. So it was very unfair to say that in terms of because to me, you know, he shouldn't have won several of those races, and he did.

And for me, each one of them was epic. Because just the way Max operates, even if he won from nothing, is you still sit there with your jaw dropped, or he wins by a mile. Doesn't matter. Awestruck because I can't believe that this guy does stuff like that. So Las Vegas was what actually triggered the turnaround, and a very good reason why McLaren didn't get Team of the Year.