Disqualification: Norris and Piastri Out of the Las Vegas GP, Verstappen on the Prowl

Scandal in Las Vegas: McLaren Disqualified and the Championship Fight Intensifies

Las Vegas witnessed an unexpected turn at the Grand Prix, where McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were disqualified due to illegal wear of the wood on the underside of their cars. This decision has reignited the fight for the championship, propelling Max Verstappen into contention for the title. According to Formula 1 regulations, the thickness of the wood under the cars must be at least 9 mm. However, after Saturday night’s race, it was discovered that the two McLaren vehicles did not comply with this regulation.

After being summoned by the stewards, McLaren was declared in breach, resulting in disqualification. This unexpected change in the 2025 title battle means that Verstappen, who had been defeated by Norris in the race, is now tied in points with Piastri, with 366 units, and is 24 points behind Norris with two races remaining in the season.

The warning signs lit up at the end of the race, when Norris was told to reduce his pace in the final laps, initially due to a fuel problem. Norris’s gap to Verstappen decreased from five seconds to about 21, but he maintained second position ahead of George Russell. Piastri finished fourth, one place ahead of Andrea Kimi Antonelli, whose five-second penalty relegated him to fifth place. Verstappen’s victory kept him alive in the fight, but now he has become a real contender for the first time this year. There are two races left in the next two weeks, starting with the Qatar Grand Prix, which will include a sprint race on November 29, before the grand prix on November 30. While Verstappen seeks his fifth consecutive title, Norris and Piastri fight to get the first one. Verstappen has won four of the eight races since the F1 season resumed.

The measurement of the wood thickness in F1 cars is done at four points. The FIA found that Norris’s front right side measured 8.88 mm and the rear right 8.93 mm. Piastri’s front left measured 8.96 mm, the front right 8.74 mm and the rear right 8.90 mm. In simple terms, McLaren’s infringement margin was minimal, equivalent to the thickness of a hair, ranging from 0.04 to 0.12 millimeters.

The FIA statement declared: “The rear skids were re-measured in the presence of the stewards and the three McLaren representatives, and those measurements confirmed that the skids did not comply with the regulations. The relevant measurements were even lower than those originally measured by the Technical Delegate”.

FIA

The team argued that there were mitigating circumstances, such as unexpected porpoising, lack of testing due to weather, and shorter practice sessions. However, the FIA determined that there was no provision for a penalty other than disqualification. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella referred to this unfortunate result: “During the race, both cars experienced unexpected and high levels of porpoising that were not seen in the practice sessions, which led to excessive contact with the ground. We are investigating the reasons for this car behavior, including the effect of accidental damage suffered by both cars, which we found after the race, and which caused an increase in ground movement. Stella added: “We apologize to Lando and Oscar for the loss of points today, at a critical moment in their championship campaigns after two strong performances throughout the weekend. As a team, we also apologize to our partners and fans, whose support means a lot. While this result is extremely disappointing, we remain fully focused on the last two races of the season.” Norris, for his part, lamented the “frustrating end” to the day. “We had to manage some things at the end of the race and now we know that was due to some problems on our car, which unfortunately have disqualified us. It’s frustrating to lose so many points. As a team, we are always striving to find the maximum possible performance, and we clearly didn’t achieve that balance today. Nothing I do will change that now, instead, the focus is entirely on Qatar, where we will try to go out and deliver the best possible performance in each session.” Piastri expressed similar disappointment, adding: “With how tight the grid is, we are always looking for where we can gain performance, and this time we didn’t achieve it. Now we need to reset, refocus, and strive to get the best possible points in the final two rounds, on both tracks where we have been strong before.” With 33 points at stake in the Qatar Grand Prix, Piastri and Verstappen could leave the penultimate round leading the championship. The F1 season will conclude with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on December 7th.