Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri faced disqualification from the Las Vegas Grand Prix due to a breach of technical regulations. Following the night race, both McLaren vehicles did not pass the post-race technical inspections in Sin City, prompting Norris and Piastri to appear before race officials.
During the inspections, FIA scrutineers identified that the planks beneath the McLaren cars were thinner than the mandated 9mm minimum at the end of the race. This indicated that the cars were running with an illegal ride height, leading to their exclusion from the final race results.
The disqualification significantly impacts the drivers’ championship race, as Max Verstappen emerged victorious in Las Vegas. With Norris and Piastri losing their positions, Verstappen is now tied in points with Piastri and sits 24 points behind championship leader Norris, with only two rounds left.
Following the race, both McLaren drivers were called for a hearing by stewards, which commenced at 7:45 am UK time and lasted over an hour. The final decision was not announced until close to 2 am local time, more than four hours after the Grand Prix ended.
Despite starting on pole and finishing second in the race, Norris lost ground to Verstappen after an ambitious defense attempt at the first corner. While he managed to regain positions from other competitors, catching up to Verstappen proved unattainable. The disqualification now puts pressure on Norris to defend his lead against both his McLaren teammate and Verstappen in the upcoming races.
Prior to the disqualification, Norris expressed disappointment with his performance, acknowledging his errors during the race. He credited Red Bull’s strong performance and acknowledged the need for improvement. Looking ahead, Norris aims to regroup and focus on the next race in Qatar after a brief break playing golf and padel.