McLaren’s Championship Hopes Damaged: Norris and Piastri Disqualified for Excessive Skid Block Wear

Short Excerpt: McLaren has suffered a dramatic championship blow after both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were disqualified from the Las Vegas Grand Prix results due to excessive skid block wear detected during post-race technical inspections.

In a shocking development that fundamentally reshapes the 2025 Formula 1 Championship battle, both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have been disqualified from the Las Vegas Grand Prix results after post-race technical inspections revealed excessive skid block wear on both McLaren cars. Norris, who had finished second, and Piastri, fourth, lost all points from the race—a decision that dramatically tightens the title fight heading into the final two rounds.

The Technical Violation: Excessive Plank Wear

The FIA’s technical delegate identified that both McLaren cars had skid blocks worn below the mandatory minimum of 9mm when measured post-race. Article 3.5.9 of the Technical Regulations requires a minimum thickness of 9mm, though technically the regulation allows 1mm of wear from the initial 10mm specification, creating a 9mm minimum threshold.

« The rear skids of Car 4 were measured and found to be below the minimum thickness of 9mm specified under Article 3.5.9 of the Technical Regulations, » the FIA stated in its official decision. When stewards re-measured the skid blocks in the presence of McLaren representatives, the second measurements came in even lower than the initial technical delegate readings, confirming the breach beyond doubt.

Championship Impact: Points Lost at Critical Moment

For Norris, the championship leader, the disqualification represents a catastrophic loss at precisely the wrong moment in the season. Losing 18 points for second place—just when the title fight appeared to be moving in McLaren’s favor—leaves the championship considerably tighter with only two races remaining.

For Piastri, the fourth-place finish would have been meaningful points. Losing 12 points for fourth place leaves him significantly worse off in the championship picture.

McLaren’s Defense: Mitigating Circumstances Rejected

McLaren attempted to argue for mitigation, presenting several factors they believed should reduce the severity of the penalty:

• Unexpected Porpoising: Both cars experienced « additional and unexpected porpoising » throughout the race—excessive bouncing that McLaren attributed to increased ground contact causing accelerated skid wear.
• Limited Practice Time: Weather disruptions and red flags on Friday limited dry-running opportunities, preventing McLaren from fully optimizing setup for the Vegas surface.
• Accidental Damage: Both cars sustained accidental damage discovered only after the race, which McLaren argued led to additional floor movement and excessive skid wear.
• Severity Comparison: McLaren noted that prior skid wear violations by other teams in 2025 were of greater magnitude.

However, the stewards rejected all mitigating arguments, determining that « there is no provision in the regulations or in precedent for any penalty other than disqualification » for skid block wear violations. The FIA International Court of Appeal has previously ruled that technical breaches of this nature require disqualification as the mandatory penalty.

« Notwithstanding the submission by the Team that there was potentially accidental damage that may have led to movement of the floor which could have caused additional wear, the Stewards do not consider this sufficient to mitigate the penalty, » the stewards determined.

The Vegas Circuit: Notoriously Challenging for Plank Wear

Las Vegas presents unique challenges for managing skid block wear. The street circuit features numerous bumps and road imperfections requiring aggressive suspension management, tight corners demanding substantial mechanical grip, frequent heavy braking zones that stress the car’s floor and plank system, and limited practice sessions to prepare setup for such demanding conditions.

The combination of these factors meant that teams were operating with minimal margins on plank wear from the race’s outset. For McLaren specifically, the unpredictable weather and red flags prevented adequate dry running to finalize setup that could manage both the wet conditions in qualifying and the dry racing conditions.

The Norris Fuel Mystery: Was It Plank, Not Fuel?

During the race’s final laps, Norris was instructed to lift and coast aggressively, dropping 14 seconds to race-winner Max Verstappen over four laps. Radio communications mentioned fuel conservation, with a message stating « the fuel looks OK now. »

However, subsequent analysis suggests the fuel narrative was potentially a cover story. According to reports, the lifting and coasting instructions were actually prompted by concerns over plank wear approaching the minimum limit, not fuel shortage. This would explain why Norris was never in danger of running out of fuel—the aggressive fuel-save mode was unnecessary, but instructing him to manage plank wear would have raised immediate concerns among other teams monitoring radio communications.

Norris confirmed: « We had to do some managing towards the end of the race and now we know it was due to some issues on our car, which have unfortunately resulted in us being disqualified. »

Team Principal Andrea Stella’s Apology

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella issued a formal apology to both drivers, acknowledging the technical failure and the points cost at the championship’s most critical moment.

« As a team, we also apologise to our partners and fans, whose support means so much. While this outcome is extremely disappointing, we remain fully focused on the last two races of the season, » Stella stated.

Stella emphasized that both cars encountered the porpoising issues unexpectedly: « During the race, both cars experienced unexpected, high levels of porpoising not seen in the practice sessions, which led to excessive contact with the ground. » He further noted that the damage discovered after the race « led to an increase of movement of the floor » that contributed to accelerated skid wear.

Precedent: Not the First Plank Wear Disqualification

McLaren’s disqualification is not unprecedented in Formula 1:

• 2023 United States Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were both disqualified for excessive plank wear
• 2024 Chinese Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton was disqualified again for the same infraction
• 2024 Bahrain: Nico Hulkenberg’s 13th-place finish was expunged for excessive skid wear
• 2021 Portuguese Grand Prix: Olivier Panis lost his ninth-place finish due to plank wear

However, the timing of this disqualification—affecting the championship leader and his title rival simultaneously during the season’s climactic phase—makes it exceptionally impactful.

The Stewards’ Hearing: Brief and Inevitable

The stewards’ hearing began at 11:45 p.m. local time and was brief, as technical violations of this nature are typically clear-cut matters with no discretionary element. Once the FIA’s technical delegate confirmed the skid blocks were below minimum specification, the disqualification outcome was inevitable.

McLaren was unable to present evidence that would overcome the regulatory requirement. While the stewards acknowledged the unintentional nature of the breach, current regulations provide no leeway for such technical violations regardless of mitigating circumstances.

Championship Ramifications: Qatar and Abu Dhabi

Norris retains the championship lead, but his margin is now razor-thin heading to Qatar and Abu Dhabi. The loss of 18 points—combined with Piastri’s loss of 12 points—means both McLaren drivers are now significantly vulnerable to Verstappen and other competitors in the final two races.

Norris can theoretically secure the championship if he leaves Qatar with a lead of 26 points or more over both Piastri and Verstappen, but that threshold is now infinitely more challenging to achieve.

Investigation Underway: Understanding the Porpoising

McLaren has committed to conducting an internal investigation to determine exactly why both cars experienced such severe and unexpected porpoising, which appears to have been the root cause of accelerated plank wear. The team also plans to examine whether the accidental damage sustained by both cars contributed to increased floor movement.

The investigation findings may prove important for understanding whether McLaren’s car concept has an inherent vulnerability to plank wear at circuits like Las Vegas, or whether the Vegas weekend represented an anomaly requiring no fundamental design changes.

Piastri’s Response: Determination for Final Two Rounds

Piastri issued a determined statement following the disqualification:

« Disappointing to come away from this weekend with no points after an unfortunate disqualification due to skid wear. With how close the grid is, we’re always looking at where we can gain performance, and we didn’t get it right this time. We now need to reset, refocus and push to get the best points possible in the final two rounds, both tracks that we’ve been strong at previously. »

The Australian references both Qatar and Abu Dhabi—circuits where McLaren has demonstrated competitive strength earlier in the season, suggesting confidence in the team’s ability to recover.

The Uncertain Championship After Las Vegas

What appeared to be a McLaren triumph—with Norris second and Piastri fourth—has been transformed into a championship crisis. The disqualification scrambles the standings, narrows Norris’ championship lead precipitously, and injects genuine uncertainty into the final two rounds that seemed destined for McLaren dominance just hours before the technical inspection results.

Max Verstappen’s victory in Las Vegas, combined with McLaren’s double disqualification, ensures that the championship fight remains competitive heading into Qatar. The title is no longer Norris’ to lose—it is now genuinely contested among multiple contenders with two races remaining.

Conclusion

The disqualification of both McLaren cars for excessive skid block wear represents one of the most significant technical decisions of the 2025 F1 season. While the technical breach is clear-cut and the regulatory response appropriate, the timing—affecting both the championship leader and his closest rival simultaneously at the season’s climactic moment—transforms the championship battle fundamentally.

McLaren’s investigation into the unexpected porpoising and potential accidental damage will likely reveal valuable insights about plank wear management at challenging street circuits. However, those findings offer little consolation regarding points already lost during the championship’s final stage.

For Norris and Piastri, the focus now shifts entirely to Qatar and Abu Dhabi. Both drivers must minimize damage and accumulate whatever points remain available, knowing that their collective Las Vegas points will forever be marked as a disqualification rather than a race result.