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, resulting in Norris and Piastri facing the stewards.
FIA scrutineers found that the planks beneath the McLaren cars were thinner than the required minimum of 9mm at the end of the race. This indicated that the cars were running with an illegally low ride height, leading to their disqualification from the final results.
The disqualification has significant implications for the drivers’ championship as Max Verstappen claimed victory in the Las Vegas race. With Norris and Piastri losing their results, Verstappen is now tied on points with Piastri and trails championship leader Norris by 24 points with two races remaining.
Both McLaren drivers attended a hearing with the stewards, which commenced at 7:45 am UK time and lasted for over an hour. The official decision was announced close to 2 am local time, more than four hours after the Grand Prix concluded.
Norris, who initially finished second after starting from pole position but losing out to Verstappen early in the race, expressed disappointment with his performance before learning of his disqualification. Despite his efforts to regain positions, Norris acknowledged the superior pace of the Red Bull team and aimed to bounce back in the upcoming races.
Looking ahead, Norris plans to regroup and strive for success in the next race in Qatar after some well-deserved time off for golf and relaxation.