McLaren's Aggressive Stance: Norris Insists on Pushing Limits Despite Vegas Disqualification

Lando Norris has declared that McLaren will not adopt a cautious approach in the final two races of the 2025 Formula 1 season. This resolve comes despite the team's double disqualification in Las Vegas, which nullified a strong performance.

The championship leader emphasizes that McLaren must continue to take calculated risks to fend off a resurgent Red Bull and Max Verstappen.

Why it matters:

After a double disqualification cost McLaren crucial points in Las Vegas, Norris's insistence on maintaining an aggressive strategy highlights the high stakes of the championship battle. This approach underscores McLaren's determination to challenge Red Bull, signaling a fierce contest for the title in the season's concluding races.

The Details:

• Both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were disqualified from the Las Vegas Grand Prix due to excessive plank wear on their MCL39s, erasing what had been second and fourth-place finishes.
• This incident fueled speculation that the team had been running an overly aggressive ride height. However, Norris argued that their performance drop in Las Vegas was a reason to be bolder, not more conservative.
• "In some ways you can almost say we didn't take enough risk, so it's not as simple as just looking at it and going 'Oh they did that and that's why they were quick.' In fact, we were slower because of the issues that we had, not quicker," Norris stated.
• Norris emphasized the inherent nature of Formula 1: "When you're in Formula 1, you're fighting for race wins and everything, you always have to push things to the limit."

What's next:

With the Qatar Grand Prix serving as the final Sprint weekend of the season before the Abu Dhabi finale, three scoring opportunities remain. Norris acknowledges the tight margin for error, with Verstappen and Piastri just 24 points behind him.

• Norris warned, "We still need to push everything to the limit as you always do because Red Bull are just as quick, so if we don't put things in the right condition like in Brazil, they'll be quicker than us and they'll win."
• McLaren's commitment to an aggressive strategy, even after the Las Vegas setback, sets the stage for a dramatic conclusion to the season. Norris's message is clear: the team intends to remain brave and fight for victory until the very last lap.