Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have now spoken out following their disqualification from the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Norris finished second behind race victor Max Verstappen, with Piastri coming in fourth. However, both McLaren drivers were disqualified after their cars failed post-race technical checks for excessive skid-block wear.
The FIA confirmed the reason for the disqualification, which means their race results will not be counted, creating a tighter title race with only two rounds remaining. Norris currently 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.
Expressing his disappointment, Norris mentioned the issues with their car that led to the disqualification, acknowledging the frustration of losing valuable points. Piastri also expressed his frustration over the unfortunate disqualification due to skid wear and emphasized the need to refocus for the final two rounds.
McLaren issued an apology to Norris and Piastri, acknowledging the breach of Technical Regulations regarding skid thickness. The team highlighted unexpected issues during the race that caused excessive contact with the ground, leading to the breach. McLaren emphasized that there was no deliberate attempt to break the rules and expressed regret for the impact on the drivers’ championship campaigns.
FIA scrutineers found that the planks beneath the McLaren cars were below the minimum thickness required by the end of the race, indicating an illegally low ride height and resulting in their disqualification.
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