Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri disqualified from Las Vegas Grand Prix after Max Verstappen win

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A nightmare situation has transpired at McLaren with both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri disqualified following the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

The drivers’ championship fight has just changed completely, and the fight is now wide open once again, heading to the next race in Qatar.

Lando Norris had by far the most to lose with an elimination of sorts in Nevada. The 30-point lead he had forged for himself over teammate Oscar Piastri is now reduced back down to 24 again.

That’s also now the gap to Max Verstappen, who will sense that he has a real chance now, with just two races to go. The Las Vegas Grand Prix has served a historic curveball, and McLaren won’t like it.

Norris called Verstappen ‘difficult’ immediately after finishing second place behind him in Sunday’s race. A bad start put him on the back foot, but he was still able to stretch the gap at the front.

That’s all that mattered until now – and even though Piastri is showing symptoms of fatigue, seeing the deficit to Norris might just revitalise him again. It’s a bit of a gift for him, too.

READ MORE: Zak Brown says outsiders are trying to ‘create drama’ between Oscar Piastri and McLaren

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri disqualified from the Las Vegas Grand Prix for excessive plank wear

Jenson Button thinks Norris and Piastri are in a ‘horrible’ period, and he might just have been proven right by the stewards.

Entering the weekend, Piastri had a calm ‘demeanour’, and although a disqualification would normally be a nightmare for a driver, in this case, it will suit everyone but his teammate. Losing fourth place isn’t all doom and gloom.

Now, the reason that McLaren have been stripped of their results in Las Vegas is due to a rule that Ferrari also fell foul of in China.

A skid block plank underneath their car must measure at least 9mm thick after a race, and is checked by the FIA. Normally, if a measurement suggests otherwise, it’s a black and white rule.

Speaking in a document that confirmed Norris’ disqualification after the race, the FIA said, “The rear skids of Car 4 were measured and found to be below the minimum thickness of 9mm specified under Article 3.5.9 of the Technical regulations.

“The measurements were RHS Front 8.88mm, RHS Rear 8.93mm. The measuring device was a Mitutoyo Micrometre purchased in May 2025, and according to the manufacturer’s specifications, accurate to within 0.001mm.”

It means that the team set their cars up too aggressively (ran them too low to the ground), which gives them a performance advantage, but clearly with too much risk.

Instead, they might have just created a lot more work for their drivers and given them a hungry Verstappen to worry about for the next few weeks.

READ MORE: Karun Chandhok says Oscar Piastri may now have the same ‘irrational’ McLaren fear as Fernando Alonso

What were the 2025 F1 title permutations before McLaren got disqualified in Las Vegas?

After Sunday’s Vegas race finished, but before the disqualification verdict was given, it looked as though Norris had one hand on the title already.

He still has a good chance of being able to win in Qatar and thus claim his maiden title, but he just needs to outscore his rivals by a little more to do so.

Red Bull couldn’t have asked for a much better gift. From 42 points behind, Verstappen was effectively out of the race. He was relying on a retirement and a bad finish from Norris in the final two races to have a chance.

And Piastri, who was 30 points behind, is back within the crucial 25-point buffer. He was also relying on winning both races and having his teammate finish lower than fifth to win.

Norris has significantly matured as an F1 driver, but this is a new test for him. Before, there was little threat, but next weekend’s race in Qatar could be one of the most exciting in recent seasons, now.