By Graham Duxbury @TheRealDux

With the Las Vegas dust having settled, Lando Norris finds his championship lead under pressure - not only from Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri, now tied in joint second place - but from the fallout of McLaren’s double disqualification last weekend.

The team’s exclusion for a technical infringement wiped valuable points from both drivers, turning what should have been a comfortable buffer for Norris into a far more fragile advantage while adding an unwelcome layer of tension inside the garage.

This sets the stage for a crucial weekend as the F1 teams head to the Qatar Grand Prix. The FIA has mandated two tyre stops due to the circuit’s punishing high-speed loads and abrasive surface. Teams will be forced into more aggressively-timed pit stops leaving little room for conservative tyre management.

Verstappen thrives on unpredictable, high-pressure scenarios and he and his Red Bull team have the ability to seize opportunities when race strategy becomes fluid.

For Norris, the task is to steady the ship after a bruising Las Vegas weekend and prove he can control a championship fight that suddenly feels wide open.