McLaren in Shock: Norris and Piastri Disqualified in Las Vegas, Title Fight Wide Open
A dramatic twist in the championship battle, both McLaren drivers have been disqualified from the Las Vegas Grand Prix for a technical rules breach. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who finished second and fourth, saw their results wiped for excessive wear on their cars’ floors, dealing a huge blow to the title fight with just two races remaining.
The story
Shockwaves rippled through the F1 paddock when FIA stewards released their final decision at 23:45 local time in Las Vegas. Both McLaren MCL39s of Norris and Piastri failed to meet the minimum 9mm thickness requirement for the skid plank, a crucial part that protects the cars from striking the circuit surface.
This marks a historic moment, the first time in McLaren’s history that both team cars have been disqualified simultaneously for the same offense. The FIA technical inspector found both cars below the legal limit, suggesting this was no accident but a deliberate setup choice by the team to chase aerodynamic gains.
The consequences were immediate. George Russell of Mercedes was promoted to second, while teammate Kimi Antonelli also landed on the podium. Max Verstappen won the race, but his real victory was in the title stakes. With these two disqualifications, Norris’ lead shrank significantly. His former 42-point cushion over Verstappen dropped to just 24, while his margin over teammate Piastri also fell from 30 to 24 points.
This disqualification is not unique this season. It is already the third time a driver has been removed for the same infringement, Lewis Hamilton took the same penalty in China, while Nico Hulkenberg faced the issue in Bahrain. It points to a growing pattern in F1 of teams pushing the regulatory limits.
Analysis
The timing of this disqualification could not be more critical. With only two races left, Qatar next week and the season finale in Abu Dhabi, the title fight suddenly feels far more open than two weeks ago. Norris now sits on 390 points, with Piastri and Verstappen both on 366. That means Norris can still clinch the championship in Qatar, but only if he finishes two points ahead of both rivals.
Strategically, this is a bolt from the blue for McLaren. The team was in excellent form and seemed headed for its first constructors’ title in decades. They still hold the lead in that championship with 756 points, but the lost points for their drivers sting. The question looms, was this setup choice worth the risk? The team must have calculated that the gains from a lower plank justified the potential disqualification, but that has clearly proven to be a misjudgment.
Stewards reported that McLaren defended its case, but the evidence was compelling. It underscores the unforgiving nature of technical regulations in F1, if something fails to meet the standard, it does not matter how competitive it was.
For sim racers
This incident offers valuable lessons for sim racers. In titles like iRacing and Assetto Corsa we’ve all felt that urge, squeeze just a bit more downforce from our wings or floor without too much risk. This episode shows why regulations matter, even in the digital world. F1 teams have infinite resources to chase the limits, yet they still get caught. The same principle applies to sim racers, if you bend the rules, sooner or later you’ll be penalized. It also highlights the importance of setup knowledge, teams must know not only what makes the car faster, but also what sits inside and outside the rulebook. That is a lesson that touches every level of racing, virtual or not.