Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were both disqualified from the Las Vegas Grand Prix after McLaren breached technical regulations on skid thickness, dealing a blow to their championship hopes with two races remaining
McLaren have issued an apology to their drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, after both men were stripped of their results from the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
The pair had crossed the line in P2 and P4 respectively, but the Papaya team were summoned to the stewards post-race over suspected breaches concerning the minimum width of their car’s rearmost skid.
The F1 giants’ team principal Andrea Stella said in a statement: “Following the Las Vegas Grand Prix, we were found in breach of Article 3.5.9 of the Technical Regulations, which requires a minimum of 9mm skid thickness. Car 4 was found in breach by a maximum of 0.12mm of the rearmost skid and Car 81 by a maximum of 0.26mm of the rearmost skid.
“During the race, both cars experienced unexpected, high levels of porpoising, not seen in the practice sessions, which led to excessive contact with the ground. We are investigating the reasons for this behaviour of the car, including the effect of accidental damage sustained by both cars, which we found after the race, and that led to an increase of movement of the floor.
“As the FIA noted, the breach was unintentional, there was no deliberate attempt to circumvent the regulations, and mitigating circumstances also existed.
“We apologise to Lando and Oscar for the loss of points today, at a critical time in their Championship campaigns after two strong performances from them all weekend. As a team, we also apologise to our partners and fans, whose support means so much.
“While this outcome is extremely disappointing, we remain fully focused on the last two races of the season.”
It’s a result which has re-opened the Drivers’ World Championship battle, with the Constructors’ Championship already secured by McLaren. Norris continues to top the standings with 390 points, having earned seven victories and 17 podium finishes this campaign.
The margin to Piastri in second stays at 24 points, but Max Verstappen has now drawn level with the Australian to give himself a shot at claiming another title. The reigning champion triumphed in the Las Vegas Grand Prix to create that possibility, passing Norris on the opening lap and maintaining that advantage to the chequered flag.
Both Norris and Piastri expressed their frustration at disqualification, leaving them pointless after a difficult race. It means there’s still everything to play for over the concluding two rounds of the 2025 season – with Qatar and Abu Dhabi wrapping up the campaign over the coming fortnight.
There’s little doubt the various scenarios will be analysed by all parties, with focus firmly on who will keep their composure when the pressure mounts. For the deficit at the summit to be overturned, the pursuing drivers may well require some fortune, something Verstappen himself acknowledged.
Speaking to Sky Sports following the race, the Red Bull driver said: “It depends a lot on how our car will perform in Qatar and Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi is a very good McLaren track, but we’ll see.
“It’s a very, very big gap. It’s also not something that will be easily overturned. We need a bit of luck for that, but we can still win races, we’ll try.”
Verstappen emerged victorious in last year’s Qatar Grand Prix, while Norris claimed triumph at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with considerable drama expected for this season’s showdown. The upcoming finale also promises to deliver a thrilling conclusion, with several surprises still to come.