McLaren Drivers Norris and Piastri Disqualified from Las Vegas GP, Sparking Championship Shake-Up

McLaren Drivers Norris and Piastri Disqualified from Las Vegas GP, Sparking Championship Shake-Up

When the checkered flag fell on the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Sunday, November 23, 2025, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were celebrating a dream result: second and fourth place, respectively. But two hours later, the euphoria turned to disbelief. The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) disqualified both McLaren F1 Team drivers for a technical infringement — their skid blocks, or planks, had worn down to less than 9 millimeters, violating Article 3.5.9 of the 2025 Technical Regulations. The team’s hopes of stretching Norris’ championship lead evaporated in a single, cold bureaucratic decision. And just like that, the 2025 F1 title fight went from a two-horse race to a three-way bloodbath.

How a Tiny Wear Strip Changed Everything

It’s easy to overlook the skid plank. It’s a thin, 10mm-thick wooden block bolted beneath the car’s floor, designed to prevent teams from running too low to the track — a tactic that generates extra downforce. As the car runs, the plank wears down. By regulation, it must remain above 9mm after the race. If it’s lower, disqualification is automatic. No exceptions. No leniency. Not even if the team says it was caused by wind gusts on The Strip, or by a misjudged curb hit in Turn 11, or by the fact that McLaren only had one full practice session due to rain delays.

McLaren’s engineers argued all of that to the stewards. They pointed to the unusual conditions: temperatures swinging between 15°C and 22°C, gusts hitting 30 km/h, and the abrasive asphalt of the Las Vegas Strip, which is rougher than most circuits. They even suggested the floor may have shifted slightly after contact — unintentional, they insisted. The FIA didn’t dispute their claim of innocence. In fact, they said outright: “We strongly believe it was unintentional and it was not in any way deliberate.” But intent doesn’t matter here. The rules are written in stone. This isn’t a yellow card. It’s a red one. And it’s been that way since the 2000s.

The Championship Domino Effect

Before the disqualification, Norris led the Drivers’ Championship with 390 points. Piastri sat second with 360. Verstappen, who won the race, was third with 342. Norris’ podium finish would’ve pushed his lead over Piastri to 30 points — a near-insurmountable gap with only two races left. Instead, both McLaren drivers lost their points. Now, Norris still leads with 390, but Piastri and Verstappen are tied at 366. Three drivers. One title. And 58 points still up for grabs — including the sprint race points in Qatar.

That’s not just a race. That’s a reset. Norris, who had been cruising toward his first world title, now has to fight for every point. Piastri, who had been quietly building momentum, suddenly has a shot. And Verstappen? He’s not just a challenger anymore. He’s the favorite. He’s won six races this season. Norris has five. Piastri has three. Tiebreakers favor Norris — but only if he finishes ahead. One mechanical failure, one mistake, one bad qualifying, and it’s over.

McLaren’s Strategic Nightmare

For McLaren Racing Limited, headquartered in Woking, this is a catastrophe. The team had been leading the Constructors’ Championship by 17 points over Red Bull. Now, they’ve lost 44 points — Norris’ 18 and Piastri’s 12, plus the 14 points Verstappen gained from winning. That’s a 58-point swing in one afternoon. Team principal Andrea Stella, who had been quietly building momentum for McLaren’s first title since 2008, now faces questions about car setup, strategy, and whether the team underestimated the Las Vegas circuit’s demands.

McLaren’s lack of long-run testing due to weather is a legitimate concern. But so is the fact that other teams — including Red Bull and Mercedes — ran the same track with no plank issues. That’s the brutal truth of F1: if you’re the one who gets caught, it doesn’t matter if everyone else was lucky. You’re the one who made the mistake.

History Repeats Itself

This isn’t the first time F1 has seen a disqualification like this. In 2021, Alpine F1 Team was disqualified from the Monaco Grand Prix for the same reason. In 2023, Alpine faced another plank disqualification — this time in Monaco again. And back in 2021, the final race controversy in Abu Dhabi didn’t involve plank wear, but it did involve a rules interpretation that changed the title. The message from the FIA is clear: technical rules are non-negotiable. They’re the bedrock of fairness. Even if it feels unfair.

As Max Verstappen said after the race, “It’s Formula 1. You either follow the rules or you don’t. If you break them, you pay the price. No one’s above it.” And he’s right. The system isn’t perfect. But it’s consistent. And in a sport where margins are measured in tenths of a second, consistency is everything.

What’s Next? Qatar and Abu Dhabi — The Final Two Acts

The Qatar Grand Prix kicks off on November 29, 2025, at the Lusail International Circuit. Then, exactly one week later, the season ends in Abu Dhabi on December 6. Both tracks are fast, technical, and unforgiving. Qatar’s long straights and high-speed corners will test aerodynamic efficiency. Abu Dhabi’s smooth tarmac and tire management challenges will favor reliability.

McLaren has seven days to fix their floor setup, test new materials, and ensure their cars don’t come close to the 9mm limit again. But here’s the twist: they can’t just focus on their own car. They have to outperform Red Bull and Mercedes, too. And they have to do it while managing the emotional fallout of losing two podiums — and potentially, the title — because of a piece of wood.

For Norris, who spoke in French after the race — “Deuxième, ça reste un solide résultat” — the words now feel hollow. For Piastri, it’s a second chance. For Verstappen, it’s a gift. And for F1 fans? It’s the most thrilling finish in years.