Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have broken their silence following their disqualification from the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Norris secured second place behind race victor Max Verstappen, with Piastri finishing in fourth. However, both drivers’ cars failed technical inspections after the race due to excessive skid-block wear.
The FIA confirmed that the disqualification was a result of the skid-block wear issue, nullifying their race results and shaking up the championship standings with only two races remaining. Norris now leads Piastri and four-time world champion Verstappen by 24 points ahead of the upcoming race in Qatar and the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
Norris expressed his disappointment post-race, acknowledging the team’s struggle with car issues and emphasizing the need to refocus on delivering a strong performance in Qatar. Piastri also expressed frustration over the disqualification and highlighted the importance of regrouping for the final two races.
McLaren issued an apology to Norris and Piastri for the disqualification, citing a breach of the Technical Regulations regarding skid thickness. The team explained that both cars experienced unexpected porpoising during the race, leading to excessive contact with the ground and subsequent non-compliance with the regulations.
The FIA discovered that the skid plank thickness under the McLaren cars was below the required minimum of 9mm at the end of the race, indicating an illegal ride height. This discovery ultimately led to the disqualification of both cars from the final race classification.