McLaren at risk of Las Vegas GP disqualification

McLaren has been summoned to Formula 1 stewards because both of its cars are in an alleged breach of a technical requirement after the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

The MCL39s of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have failed to meet the thickness requirement of the rear skid block after they respectively finished second and fourth on Saturday night.

This summons is in relation to Article 3.5.9 e) of the 2025 F1 technical regulations, which states “the thickness of the plank assembly measured normal to the lower surface must be 10mm ± 0.2mm and must be uniform when new”.

“A minimum thickness of 9mm will be accepted due to wear and conformity to this provision will be checked at the peripheries of the designated holes,” the rticle adds.

It is not yet known how much McLaren has failed to meet the thickness requirement by yet, but the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix showed that it usually results in disqualification.

That’s because the Sauber of Nico Hulkenberg also failed to meet the minimum thickness requirement for the rear skid block, and that cost the German his 13th-place result.

Should this happen it would have significant implications on the title battle, because the provisional results from Vegas gave championship leader Norris a 30-point advantage over Piastri.

It would drop to 24 should both McLaren cars be thrown out, but more crucially, the hopes of a fifth consecutive title for Vegas winner Max Verstappen will increase.

Lando Norris, McLaren, Andrea Stella, Team Principal of McLaren and Oscar Piastri, McLaren (Photo by: Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images)

The Red Bull driver’s deficit to Norris currently stands at 42, but that would drop to 24. A double disqualification would also put Verstappen level with Piastri, despite the Australian leading the standings for much of the year.

A disqualification also pushes Mercedes man George Russell up to second in the Vegas classification, while team-mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli would collect a third podium of 2025.

This would be the fifth and sixth disqualification of the 2025 season after Hulkenberg’s infringement, plus three happening at round two in Shanghai.

Those happened because the cars of Charles Leclerc and Pierre Gasly were 1kg underweight, meaning they respectively lost fifth and 11th at the Chinese Grand Prix.

Leclerc’s Ferrari team-mate Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, finished sixth but was disqualified because of excessive wear on his rear skid block.

But neither of those incidents cost a driver a podium finish like a Vegas disqualification would for Norris, with the last time that happened being the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix.

Russell crossed the line first in a Mercedes 1-2 with Hamilton, but his car was 1.5kg underweight in post-race scrutineering, meaning the seven-time world champion collected his 105th and most recent grand prix victory.

There is also the 2023 United States Grand Prix, which is the most recent example of a driver being disqualified from second because Hamilton’s Mercedes had excessive rear skid-block wear, giving runner-up to Norris on the day.