Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have been disqualified from the Las Vegas Grand Prix due to a technical violation. McLaren’s cars failed post-race technical inspections in Sin City, as the planks beneath the cars were found to be less than the required 9mm thickness, indicating an illegally low ride height. Consequently, both drivers were removed from the final classification.
The disqualification significantly impacts the drivers’ title race, with Max Verstappen claiming victory in Las Vegas. As a result of Norris and Piastri losing their results, Verstappen is now tied on points with Piastri and 24 points behind championship leader Norris, with two races remaining.
Following the race, both McLaren drivers faced stewards’ scrutiny, with a hearing starting at 7.45am UK time and lasting over an hour. The final decision was reached around 2am local time, more than four hours after the Grand Prix concluded.
Norris, who initially finished second after starting on pole, lost positions to Verstappen and George Russell due to an aggressive defense tactic that resulted in overshooting a corner. Despite regaining positions, catching Verstappen proved challenging. Norris had hoped to extend his championship lead over Piastri but will now have to defend against both his teammate and Verstappen in the remaining races.
Expressing disappointment in his performance before learning of his disqualification, Norris acknowledged the team’s lack of pace compared to Red Bull. Looking ahead, he aims to improve and bounce back in the upcoming races after enjoying a brief break for golf and relaxation before the next event in Qatar.