Norris and Piastri disqualified in Las Vegas for illegal skid blocks

The FIA disqualified Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri from the Las Vegas Grand Prix after detecting that the skid blocks on both MCL39s recorded measurements below the regulatory minimum of 9 millimeters. The decision removes 27 points from McLaren's combined total and substantially alters the championship standings.

The stewards measured the wear at multiple points on the rear blocks of both cars. Norris registered 8.88 millimeters at the most critical point, with Piastri also below the limit established in Article 3.5.9 of the Technical Regulations. The measurements were repeated in the presence of three McLaren representatives, confirming the infringement.

The skid block is a synthetic piece located on the central underside of the car that rubs against the asphalt during the race. Introduced in the 1990s, its function is to control the car's minimum ride height and prevent teams from seeking an extreme aerodynamic advantage by running the car's floor too low. If the car runs too close to the asphalt, the skid block wears down more than permitted.

Photo By Mclaren

Verstappen Closes Championship Gap

Max Verstappen now shares second place with Piastri on 366 points, with Norris retaining the lead with 390 points. The gap between Verstappen and the leader has been reduced from 42 to 24 points, intensifying the title fight with two races and one Sprint remaining, offering a total of 58 points.

Verstappen had won in Las Vegas after Norris lost the lead at the first corner, resisting early pressure from George Russell and managing his advantage until the checkered flag. The 25 points for the victory are now crucial in the title fight.

McLaren Argued Mitigating Circumstances

McLaren presented arguments about "mitigating circumstances" that included unusual porpoising during the event, limited testing opportunities due to Friday's adverse weather, and shortened practice sessions. The stewards rejected these arguments but acknowledged that the infringement was "involuntary" and that there was no "deliberate attempt to circumvent the regulations."

Measuring the skid block requires partially dismantling the car's floor. The FIA does not inspect all vehicles, but rather a selection that includes the winner, randomly chosen cars, and those showing suspicious data in telemetry or television images. The regulation states that this piece must measure approximately 10 millimeters at the start and no less than 9 millimeters at the end, providing only 1 millimeter of wear margin.

Hamilton faced the same penalty in China, where his measurements were around 8.5-8.6 millimeters. Nico Hülkenberg was also disqualified in Bahrain for an identical infringement. In 2023, Hamilton and Charles Leclerc lost their positions in Austin for the same reason, which forced the FIA to reopen parc fermé between the Sprint race and qualifying to give teams more adjustment time.

Photo By Mclaren

Russell Moves Up to Second, Antonelli Finished Third

George Russell moved up to second place after completing a solid race from third position. Mercedes had pressured Verstappen in the early laps before the superiority of the RB21 became evident.

Kimi Antonelli finished third, inheriting the position following his comeback from 17th place. Antonelli had received a five-second penalty for a jump start, but the penalty did not affect his final position after the disqualifications.

Pos	No.	Driver	Team	Interval
1	#1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	-
2	#63	George Russell	Mercedes	+23.546s
3	#12	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	+30.488s
4	#16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+30.678s
5	#55	Carlos Sainz	Williams	+34.924s
6	#6	Isack Hadjar	Racing Bulls	+45.257s
7	#27	Nico Hülkenberg	Kick Sauber	+51.134s
8	#44	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	+59.369s
9	#31	Esteban Ocon	Haas F1 Team	+60.635s
10	#87	Oliver Bearman	Haas F1 Team	+70.549s
11	#14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	+85.308s
12	#22	Yuki Tsunoda	Red Bull Racing	+86.974s
13	#10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	+91.702s
14	#30	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	+1 LAP
15	#43	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	+1 LAP
DNF	#23	Alexander Albon	Williams	-
DNF	#5	Gabriel Bortoleto	Kick Sauber	-
DNF	#18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	-