McLaren has apologized to Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri for being excluded from the Las Vegas Grand Prix, saying both cars had suffered “accidental damage”.
Norris extended his lead in the drivers’ championship by finishing second behind race winner Max Verstappen, with Piastri fourth, but the McLaren duo were disqualified four hours into the grand prix due to excessive wear on their skid blocks.
This means Norris has a 24-point lead over Piastri and Verstappen with two rounds of the sprint weekend in Qatar and Abu Dhabi remaining.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said: “Lando and Oscar apologize for losing points at a crucial time in their championship campaign, after two strong performances throughout the weekend.
“As a team, we would also like to apologize for the support of our partners and fans. Although this result is extremely disappointing, we remain fully focused on the final two races of the season.”
McLaren told stewards that red flags and wet weather during practice had restricted dry driving and caused an “unexpected” outbreak of porpoises bouncing off cars.
Stella also said that both cars had damage, which was only discovered after the race, which caused floor movement and skid wear.
“It was found that Article 3.5.9 of the Technical Regulations, which requires a minimum skid thickness of 9mm, was violated. Car No. 4 was found to have a maximum of 0.12mm of the rearmost skid, and car No. 81 was found to have a maximum of 0.26mm of the rearmost skid.”
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Norris and Piastri failed McLaren’s post-race inspection and were disqualified from the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
“During the race, both cars experienced an unexpectedly high level of porpoise behavior that was not seen during the practice session, leading to excessive contact with the ground. We are currently investigating the causes of this behavior, including the effects of accidental damage to both cars that was discovered after the race, which led to increased floor movement.”
“As the FIA pointed out, the violation was unintentional, there was no deliberate attempt to circumvent the regulations and there were mitigating circumstances.”
Norris ‘frustrated’ after losing points in title race
Norris can clinch the championship by leaving next Sunday’s Qatar Grand Prix with a lead of more than 26 points over Piastri and Verstappen, but he was asked to lift and coast for the final three laps of the race.
He was running comfortably in second place, but what is now known to be skid block wear left him eight seconds behind George Russell behind him.
“It was a disappointing way to end today. We had to manage the final stages of the race and we now know it was due to some issues with the car, which unfortunately resulted in us being disqualified,” said Norris, who is aiming for Britain’s 11th F1 World Championship.
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Las Vegas Grand Prix Highlights – McLaren’s Norris and Piastri disqualified after race, title race closer
“It’s frustrating to lose so many points. As a team, we always try to find the best performance possible, but today we obviously didn’t have the right balance.”
“There is nothing I can do to change anything now. Instead, I will switch my full focus to Qatar and aim to go out there and give the best possible performance in every session.”
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and George Russell take to the podium in a pink Lego Cadillac by White Chicks star Terry Crews – Las Vegas exclusive!
Piastri’s car was particularly prone to sparks and collisions when overtaking cars as he recovered to his original fourth place finish.
“It’s disappointing to end the weekend with no points after an unfortunate disqualification due to skid wear,” the Australian said.
“With the grid so close, I always think about where I can perform better, but this time it didn’t work out.
“We now need to reset, refocus and push to get the highest points possible in the last two rounds, both courses that we have excelled at previously.”
F1’s season-ending triple header continues with the Qatar Grand Prix Sprint weekend, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1 from Friday. Stream Sky Sports now – cancel anytime with no contract
