Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have been disqualified from the Las Vegas Grand Prix due to a technical violation. Following the night race in Las Vegas, both McLaren cars failed post-race technical inspections, leading to Norris and Piastri facing the stewards.
FIA scrutineers found that the planks under the McLaren cars were thinner than the required minimum of 9mm at the end of the race. This indicated that the cars were operating with an illegally low ride height, resulting in their disqualification from the final classification.
This development is significant in the drivers’ championship race after Max Verstappen claimed victory in Las Vegas. With Norris and Piastri losing their results, Verstappen is now tied on points with Piastri and 24 points behind championship leader Norris, with two rounds remaining.
Both McLaren drivers attended a hearing with the stewards that commenced at 7:45 am UK time. The hearing lasted over an hour, and the decision was announced around 2 am local time, four hours after the Grand Prix concluded.
Norris initially finished second in the race after starting from pole position but was overtaken by Verstappen at the first corner. Despite a spirited defense, Norris overshot a corner, dropping to third behind Verstappen and George Russell.
Although Norris managed to regain positions, catching up to Verstappen proved insurmountable. Now, Norris must defend against both his McLaren teammate and Verstappen in the remaining races of the season.
Before being disqualified, Norris expressed disappointment with his performance, acknowledging a lack of pace and a mistake at turn one. He credited Verstappen’s performance and the speed of the Red Bull team. Looking ahead, Norris aims to improve and bounce back in the upcoming races.
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