Lando Norris’ pursuit of the Formula 1 World Championship has encountered a dramatic setback after he was disqualified from the Las Vegas Grand Prix due to a technical infringement. Initially finishing second behind Max Verstappen, Norris had extended his championship lead to 42 points with only 58 remaining in the season. However, both Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri faced disqualification for their cars failing a post-race technical inspection—the rear skids under their McLarens were found to be thinner than the mandatory 9mm minimum.
As a consequence, Norris, who hails from Glastonbury, now heads into the penultimate race in Qatar with his lead over Verstappen slashed to just 24 points. Piastri also lost points from his original fourth-place finish, falling to third in the standings and trailing Verstappen by the same margin.
The decision, announced over four hours after the race concluded, elevated George Russell to second place and Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli to third. The FIA statement clarified that although McLaren argued mitigating circumstances such as unexpected porpoising and limited testing opportunities, the rules mandated disqualification without exception. They acknowledged the breach was unintentional and not a deliberate attempt to gain advantage.
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This is reminiscent of Lewis Hamilton’s disqualification earlier this year at the Chinese GP for a similar technical infringement. The double disqualification in Vegas caused a seismic shift in the championship standings, narrowing Norris’ lead and boosting Verstappen’s title chances ahead of the final two rounds.
Verstappen’s Las Vegas win—the 69th of his career and eighth consecutive podium—marked a stunning comeback for the Dutchman, who had appeared out of contention over the summer. Despite his personal misgivings about the Vegas event’s glitz and celebrity focus, Verstappen excelled on track, claiming victory in a dominant fashion.
Max Verstappen reflected on the weekend, “It’s still a big gap, but we always try to maximize everything. This weekend was about winning, and we’ll keep pushing for that in upcoming races.”
Norris admitted to his costly error at the start that handed Verstappen the lead, saying, “I braked too late and made a mistake. Max drove a perfect race.”
Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri, struggling with results in recent rounds, acknowledges the challenge ahead but remains focused, “I’ll try my best in the next two races, put myself in the best position, and hope to capitalize.”
The penultimate race in Qatar, which includes a sprint race, is set to be a pivotal showdown in what has become one of the season’s most gripping championship battles.