Disqualification in Las Vegas: McLaren Loses Key Points
In an unexpected turn of events, the two McLaren single-seaters, driven by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, were disqualified from the Las Vegas Grand Prix, just three hours after the race. The main reason was the excessive wear of the skid plate, a crucial component located at the bottom of the vehicle. The wear detected on Norris’s car exceeded the limit by 0.12 millimeters, while on Piastri’s, the difference was 0.26 millimeters. To put this in perspective, the thickness of an average human hair ranges from 0.17 to 0.181 millimeters. The stewards’ decision, communicated on Sunday morning, reduced Norris’s lead over his competitors. The driver now has a 24-point lead before the Qatar Grand Prix.Why was the disqualification?
Although the commissioners acknowledged that the infringement was unintentional and without the intention of evading regulations, the technical standards do not allow for margin of error in the measurement of the wear of the plate. The plank is designed to wear down during the race, protecting the underside of the car and allowing the FIA to verify the minimum ride height. Running the car very close to the ground can improve aerodynamic performance, but it also carries the risk of losing downforce. To ensure safety, the FIA controls the wear of the plank on the cars that score points. Measurements are taken at four holes in the plank, which must have a minimum depth at the start and end of the race. In Norris’s case, two of the four measured holes were below the required depth, while in Piastri’s car, three of the four holes did not comply with the regulations. In this year’s Chinese Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton was disqualified for the same reason, although the wear on the plank exceeded the limit by 0.5 millimeters.Why did McLaren race the car so low?
Current Formula 1 cars are very sensitive to ride height. The closer the car is to the ground, the more the airflow passing underneath is sealed and energized, generating a low-pressure effect that “sticks” the car to the track and provides a large amount of downforce. Teams constantly seek the optimal ride height to balance aerodynamic performance and compliance with plank wear regulations. Although simulations are a starting point, teams rely on track testing during practice to make the final decision before qualifying.
Andrea Stella, McLaren team principal, added that during the race, both cars experienced unexpected levels of porpoising, which caused excessive contact with the ground. The team is investigating the reasons for this behavior, including accidental damage suffered by both cars. During the race, Norris’s engineer instructed him to lift his foot off the accelerator and coast at the end of the straights. Despite these efforts, Norris failed to avoid disqualification.The team argued that there were mitigating circumstances, such as additional and unexpected porpoising, the limited opportunity to test due to the weather, and shorter practice sessions.
Statement from the stewards
We had to manage some things towards the end of the race and now we know that it was due to some issues on our car, which unfortunately led to our disqualification.
Lando Norris
