McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri faced a devastating blow after being disqualified from the Las Vegas Grand Prix, a result that throws the Formula 1 world championship wide open.
The Technical Infringement That Cost Everything
The dramatic turn of events unfolded after Sunday's race, when both McLaren cars failed their post-race technical inspections. The FIA, the sport's governing body, discovered that the thickness of the titanium planks underneath the cars was below the mandatory 9mm minimum required by the regulations.
This finding indicated that the cars were running with an illegally low ride height, a breach serious enough to warrant immediate disqualification from the 22nd race of the 2025 season. The Brit Norris had initially finished the race in a strong position behind Max Verstappen, while his Australian teammate Piastri had secured a valuable fourth place, results that were both cruelly wiped from the record.
Championship Implications and an Unwanted Club
The penalty has massive consequences for the championship standings with just three races remaining. Max Verstappen is now level on points with Piastri, while the four-time reigning champion has closed the gap to championship leader Norris to a mere 24 points, setting up a nail-biting finale to the season.
This marked the first career disqualification in Formula 1 for both Norris and Piastri, inducting them into an unfortunate club of drivers on the current grid who have suffered the same fate. Their double disqualification wasn't even the first of the year; that dubious honour went to Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc at the Chinese Grand Prix back in March.
A History of Post-Race Disqualifications
The incident in Las Vegas echoes other recent technical exclusions. In China, Hamilton's Mercedes was found to have excessive skid block wear, while both Leclerc's and Alpine's Pierre Gasly's cars were found to be under the minimum weight requirement.
Earlier in the 2025 season, Nico Hulkenberg experienced his first disqualification after 15 years in F1 at the Bahrain Grand Prix due to similar skid block issues. Perhaps one of the most painful recent memories is George Russell's disqualification from the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix, where his victory was annulled after his car was found to be 1.5kg underweight, promoting his teammate Hamilton to the win.
This series of events underscores the relentless scrutiny and extreme precision required in modern Formula 1, where a margin of millimetres or a single kilogram can separate glory from disaster.
