After crossing the finish line at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Lando Norris, who originally took second place, and his McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, were disqualified from the competition. The main reason was the excessive wear of the plank, a crucial component located on the underside of the Formula 1 single-seaters. This wear exceeded the limits allowed by the regulations, which led the stewards to make the decision to disqualify both drivers. In Norris’s case, the wear exceeded the limit by 0.12 millimeters, while in Piastri’s car, it was 0.26 millimeters. To put this in perspective, the average thickness of a human hair ranges from 0.17 to 0.181 millimeters. This situation highlights the extreme precision required in Formula 1 and how small differences can have a big impact on the results. The disqualification, announced on Sunday, reduced Norris’s lead over his competitors. The 30-point margin he had over Piastri and the 42-point margin over Verstappen was reduced to 24 points, before next week’s Qatar Grand Prix.
Why were the cars disqualified?
The commissioners made it clear that the infraction was unintentional and that there was no intention of evading the regulations. However, the technical regulations do not allow for margin of error in the measurement of the plate wear. The plank is designed to wear down during the race by rubbing against the track surface. This helps protect the underside of the car and maintain a minimum ride height. Running the car very close to the ground can improve aerodynamic performance, but it also increases the risk of losing downforce and compromising safety. To ensure safety, the FIA conducts post-race checks to measure the wear of the plank. Four holes are measured on the plank, which must have a minimum depth of 9 millimeters at the end of the race. In Norris’s case, two of the four holes were below this limit, and in Piastri’s car, three of the four. McLaren argued that the unexpected “porpoising” (car bouncing) and lack of practice time contributed to the excessive wear. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella stated that they were investigating the causes of this unexpected car behavior. During the race, Norris’s race engineer instructed him to lift off the accelerator and coast on the straights to reduce aerodynamic load and minimize plank wear. Norris expressed his frustration at the loss of points, but assured that the team is always looking to improve performance. McLaren team apologized to its drivers. Norris still maintains a 24-point lead over his rivals. If he manages to increase that lead to 26 or more points in the Qatar Grand Prix, he would secure the championship. On the other hand, Piastri saw his disadvantage with his teammate reduced due to the disqualification, which gives him a new opportunity. Max Verstappen is the biggest beneficiary, as he now maintains hope of staying in the fight for the title.
