Vegas Shockwave: Norris & Piastri Stripped of Podium After FIA Finds 0.8mm Floor Breach McLaren Appeals in Midnight Hearing
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are facing possible disqualifications from the Las Vegas Grand Prix after both McLaren cars failed a post race technical inspection.
FIA checks showed the skid blocks on each car were below the minimum permitted depth. The matter has been referred to the stewards and such an infringement normally leads to disqualification.
If both McLaren drivers are removed from the results, Norris, who finished second behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, would still hold a 24 point lead over both Verstappen and Piastri heading into next weekend’s penultimate round in Qatar.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella postponed his post race media briefing and no representatives were available to answer questions as the investigation continued.
There are 58 points left on the table across the final two rounds, with Qatar hosting a sprint weekend ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi on 7 December.
Verstappen keeps Vegas title hopes alive
Norris had promised he was “not here not to take risks” and he raced aggressively off the line, defending the inside against Verstappen. But after cutting across the Red Bull, Norris misjudged his braking and ran wide, allowing Verstappen into the lead and opening the door for George Russell to slip into second.
Two virtual safety cars for early incidents, including a collision between Liam Lawson and Piastri at the start, allowed Verstappen to gradually tighten his control of the race.
Russell pitted early for hard tyres, while Norris and Verstappen extended their opening stints. Norris stopped five laps after Russell and Verstappen waited ten, but the Red Bull driver kept the lead with ease.
Norris emerged behind Russell but quickly closed a 3.3 second gap and overtook the Mercedes on lap 34 to reclaim second place.
As he considered his strategy, Norris asked whether he should settle for the position or attack. His engineer encouraged him to “go and get Max”, but Verstappen remained comfortably ahead. In the closing laps, a developing technical issue slowed the McLaren, allowing Verstappen to pull away further.
Despite losing nearly three seconds per lap, Norris stayed ahead of Russell thanks to the gap he had built earlier.
Verstappen’s sixth victory of the season keeps him mathematically in the title fight, although he will need misfortune for Norris in both remaining races to overturn the deficit.
“It is still a big gap, but we always try to maximise everything,” Verstappen said. “We will try to win the upcoming races and see where we end up after Abu Dhabi. I am very proud of everyone.”
Piastri endures difficult day
Oscar Piastri started fifth but immediately lost ground after being hit by Lawson, who later retired with a broken front wing.
Piastri spent the early laps behind Isack Hadjar before passing him on the Strip. He briefly lost ground to Charles Leclerc but regained the position during the pit stop phase.
He later found himself behind Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli, who ran nearly the full distance on hard tyres after stopping during the first virtual safety car. Antonelli was handed a five second penalty for a start procedure infringement, although replays did not immediately reveal the issue.
Piastri told BBC Radio 5 Live, “It was a frustrating race from pretty much start to finish.”
Asked about the final two rounds, he said, “I will try to put myself in the best position I can. I need quite a lot to go my way now to win, but all I can do is be ready to capitalise if something happens.”
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Further down the order
Leclerc held sixth but was not close enough to gain from Antonelli’s penalty. Carlos Sainz finished seventh, unable to match the pace of the front runners in dry conditions after qualifying third in the wet.
Hadjar finished eighth ahead of Nico Hulkenberg and Lewis Hamilton. The seven time champion produced a strong recovery drive after his worst qualifying session in Formula 1, climbing to 13th on the opening lap and eventually securing a point despite being trapped in a DRS train for much of the race.
