Championship leader Lando Norris and McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri have been disqualified from the Las Vegas Grand Prix after their respective cars failed post-race technical checks. The decision has sent shockwaves through the Formula 1 title race, with Norris now leading Piastri by just 24 points ahead of the final events in Qatar this coming week and the season-finale in Abu Dhabi on December 5-7.
Norris finished second behind race-winner Max Verstappen, while Piastri was fourth. However, excessive skid-block wear meant their result will not count, and the title race picture has changed dramatically with two rounds to go. The McLaren duo were found to have breached the regulations by having too much wear on their skid blocks, which did not meet the minimum limit of 9mm.
Lando Norris expressed his frustration at losing so many points, stating that the team was always pushing to find as much performance as possible and clearly didn't get the balance right. Oscar Piastri, on the other hand, took a more positive approach, saying that they now need to reset and refocus to push for the best points possible in the final two rounds.
The news has also had an impact on the top three drivers' championship standings. With Norris leading Piastri by 24 points, he now leads Max Verstappen by the same margin ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix Sprint weekend and the Abu Dhabi season finale. The FIA has revealed that the original top 10 drivers were checked for skid and plank wear, which is not always the case.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella attributed the breach to unexpected high levels of porpoising during the race, which led to excessive contact with the ground and increased movement of the floor. The team is investigating the reasons behind this behavior, including accidental damage sustained by both cars.
Sky Sports commentator Nigel Chiu suggested that McLaren may have just gotten their calculations wrong, highlighting the fine margins involved in F1 and how small measurements can have a massive impact on performance.
Norris finished second behind race-winner Max Verstappen, while Piastri was fourth. However, excessive skid-block wear meant their result will not count, and the title race picture has changed dramatically with two rounds to go. The McLaren duo were found to have breached the regulations by having too much wear on their skid blocks, which did not meet the minimum limit of 9mm.
Lando Norris expressed his frustration at losing so many points, stating that the team was always pushing to find as much performance as possible and clearly didn't get the balance right. Oscar Piastri, on the other hand, took a more positive approach, saying that they now need to reset and refocus to push for the best points possible in the final two rounds.
The news has also had an impact on the top three drivers' championship standings. With Norris leading Piastri by 24 points, he now leads Max Verstappen by the same margin ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix Sprint weekend and the Abu Dhabi season finale. The FIA has revealed that the original top 10 drivers were checked for skid and plank wear, which is not always the case.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella attributed the breach to unexpected high levels of porpoising during the race, which led to excessive contact with the ground and increased movement of the floor. The team is investigating the reasons behind this behavior, including accidental damage sustained by both cars.
Sky Sports commentator Nigel Chiu suggested that McLaren may have just gotten their calculations wrong, highlighting the fine margins involved in F1 and how small measurements can have a massive impact on performance.
How is this even possible?! One minute Norris was leading Piastri by 24 points and the next they're both disqualified from the final events? That's like, insane! The FIA should be so ashamed of themselves for letting this happen. I mean, come on guys! You've got to have some common sense. Norris said he didn't get the balance right but that doesn't excuse them from cheating. And Piastri is just too calm about it? Like what's wrong with him?! 
This is just a disaster waiting to happen.
What do you guys think? Am I being too harsh or should F1 be held accountable for this mess? 
[GIF of a car bouncing up and down] 
[GIF of a Formula 1 car crash]
] Reset, refocus, and try not to get disqualified... again 
[GIF of a person doing yoga]
I'm sure Lando's team was just thrilled to learn that their hard work wasn't enough and that they'll be competing with one hand tied behind their back. And yeah, it's not like Oscar said anything super incriminating or suspicious about what happened... *coughs* reset and refocus, right? 
. The thing is, McLaren was always going for that extra performance edge, and now they're paying the price 
. It's not just about the technical issue, though - this highlights how fine the margins are in F1 
. The final two rounds can't come soon enough... it's anyone's game now 
... it's like, so frustrating, but at least oscar piastri took it well 
. i feel bad for the team tho, they've been doing a great job this season. porpoising is just crazy right now 
My money's on them! 
. i mean, Norris is just 24 points ahead of Piastri now and that's a huge swing... but at the same time, you gotta wonder if McLaren would've even come close without those extra points 
Oh man 
, but this changes everything! 
The title race is getting crazy 
. I feel bad for Max Verstappen, though... 
He's still in the lead, but now Norris is right behind him 
. Can McLaren get their skid blocks sorted out? 
Fingers crossed 
! piastri's right, they just need to push hard in qatar & abu dhabi to make up ground on verstappen. and let's not forget, the f1 championship is all about strategy & adaptability 
! and who knows, maybe this will even give them an edge over verstappen in the end 
?
but what if sky sports is right & they just messed up the calculations 
. anyway, the final 2 rounds are gonna be so intense! 
️
. And poor McLaren, I feel for them - they were always pushing to find that extra edge 
, but at the same time, 9mm is still pretty weird