McLaren at Risk of Disqualification from Las Vegas GP

McLaren faces potential disqualification from the Las Vegas Grand Prix after both Lando Norris' and Oscar Piastri's cars allegedly breached plank wear regulations. This could strip Norris of his runner-up finish and impact the team's constructors' championship standing.

Why it matters:

• A disqualification would be a significant blow to McLaren, particularly for Lando Norris, who secured a valuable second-place finish, and for Oscar Piastri, who finished fourth. This would impact their points tally and potentially affect their position in the Constructors' Championship.
• Such an outcome would echo recent disqualifications for technical infringements, highlighting the strict enforcement of F1's technical regulations and the fine margins teams operate within.

The Details:

• Both McLaren cars were summoned to the stewards for an alleged breach of Article 3.5.9 e) of the 2025 F1 technical regulations.
• This article mandates that the plank assembly's thickness must be 10mm ± 0.2mm when new, with a minimum accepted thickness of 9mm due to wear.
• The specific issue relates to the rear skid block failing to meet this minimum thickness requirement.
• Recent Precedents: This season has seen several disqualifications for similar technical infringements:
  • At the second round in Shanghai, Charles Leclerc and Pierre Gasly's cars were found to be 1kg underweight.
  • Lewis Hamilton was disqualified from the China results for excessive wear on his rear skid block.
  • Nico Hulkenberg was disqualified in Bahrain for his Sauber's rear skid block not meeting the minimum thickness.
• Podium Disqualifications: While previous disqualifications typically involved cars outside the podium, George Russell lost his victory at the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix due to an underweight Mercedes. Hamilton also lost a podium at the United States Grand Prix the year prior for excessive skid block wear.

What's next:

The stewards will review the evidence and make a ruling, which could lead to the disqualification of both McLaren cars. If disqualified, the results of the Las Vegas Grand Prix would be adjusted, impacting driver and constructor standings. This situation underscores the rigorous technical scrutiny in Formula 1 and the critical importance of adhering to every regulation detail.