Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have been disqualified from the Las Vegas Grand Prix due to a technical violation. Following the night race in Sin City, both McLaren cars failed post-race technical inspections, prompting Norris and Piastri to face the stewards.
FIA scrutineers uncovered that the planks under the McLaren cars were thinner than the required 9mm minimum thickness at the end of the race. This indicated that the cars were running with an unlawfully low ride height, resulting in their disqualification from the final standings.
The disqualification marks a significant moment in the drivers’ championship race following Max Verstappen’s victory in Las Vegas. With Norris and Piastri’s results revoked, Verstappen now shares the same points as Piastri and trails championship leader Norris by 24 points with two rounds left.
Both McLaren drivers attended a hearing with the stewards, commencing at 7:45 am UK time and lasting over an hour. The final decision was announced around 2 am local time, more than four hours after the Grand Prix concluded.
Norris, who initially finished second after starting from pole position but losing ground to Verstappen at the start, attempted a robust defense against his Red Bull competitor. However, he overshot a corner, allowing both Verstappen and George Russell to pass him, relegating him to third place.
Despite regaining positions against the Mercedes cars, Norris couldn’t catch Verstappen. He believed he had widened the points gap between him and Piastri in the championship before facing the challenge of defending against both his McLaren teammate and Verstappen in the upcoming races.
Before being informed of his disqualification, Norris expressed his disappointment with his race performance, admitting his errors and acknowledging the superior pace of the Red Bull team. Looking ahead, he aimed to improve and bounce back in the next races after enjoying a break and pursuing other activities like golf and padel.