SHOCKING: Piastri and Norris lose out after McLaren disqualification decision at US GP… Read more
Piastri and Norris lose out after McLaren disqualification decision at US GP
By Hugo Harvey | October 22, 2025 | Formula 1 News
McLaren endured a frustrating weekend at the 2025 United States Grand Prix in Austin, as both Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris fell short of the pace they needed to challenge Max Verstappen and Red Bull. The team’s cautious approach, influenced by disqualification fears following their sprint race disaster, ultimately cost them valuable performance and points at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA).
Despite finishing second and fifth in Sunday’s main race, Norris and Piastri’s results were a far cry from what McLaren had hoped for going into the weekend. Verstappen dominated proceedings, collecting the maximum 33 points available across the sprint and main race, cutting the gap in the drivers’ standings to just 40 points behind Piastri, who continues to lead the championship.
The Austin weekend was filled with challenges for McLaren right from the start. Both drivers were eliminated from the Saturday sprint following a chaotic first-lap collision involving Piastri and Nico Hülkenberg, which also brought Norris into the mix. The double DNF deprived McLaren of crucial data that would normally help them refine their car setup, particularly in terms of ride height — a vital factor in balancing performance and legality.
According to Sky Sports F1 reporter Ted Kravitz, McLaren’s inability to participate in the sprint race played a pivotal role in their Sunday struggles. Speaking during his Ted’s Notebook segment after the race, Kravitz explained that the lack of running left McLaren in the dark about how their MCL60 would behave over a full race distance and under varying fuel loads.
“It all started at the beginning of the weekend, and then it was made worse for McLaren at the sprint race,” Kravitz noted. “In Oscar’s ill-judged move with Nico Hülkenberg at the front, that hit him into Lando Norris. Because neither McLaren took part in the sprint, they didn’t know how the car would behave in terms of ride height.”
This uncertainty forced McLaren to take a conservative approach with their setup for the main event. Teams typically aim to run their cars as low to the ground as possible to maximise aerodynamic downforce and cornering grip. However, running too low risks excessive wear to the wooden “legality plank” beneath the car — a violation that can lead to disqualification, as seen earlier in the season when Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari were penalised at the Chinese Grand Prix for similar infractions.
Kravitz elaborated that McLaren likely opted to raise the car slightly higher off the ground to ensure compliance with FIA regulations, sacrificing downforce and overall pace in the process. “They had to be conservative,” he explained. “McLaren had to raise the car up a little bit and give themselves some margin, so performance just ebbed away.”
While Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes found the sweet spot with their setups, McLaren were left playing it safe. Verstappen, who won both the sprint and the main race, benefited from Red Bull’s precise understanding of where to position the car’s suspension to extract maximum downforce without breaching the rules.
“Red Bull got it spot on. Ferrari got it spot on. Mercedes got it spot on,” Kravitz added. “But McLaren had to take some margin — and that was problem number one. Problem number two, they didn’t know what the tyres were going to do.”
Indeed, the lack of sprint data meant McLaren entered Sunday’s race without a clear grasp of tyre degradation and fuel load effects — critical variables that can make or break a race strategy. The result was a performance that appeared steady but lacked the cutting edge to challenge Verstappen or fend off Ferrari’s charge.
For McLaren, the weekend was a costly lesson in how quickly fortunes can turn in Formula 1. After enjoying several strong performances earlier in the season, their cautious approach in Austin underlined how fine the margins are between victory and disappointment.
As the championship heads to Mexico City next, the team will be determined to bounce back, armed with the lessons learned from COTA. Both Piastri and Norris remain in the title fight, but with Verstappen closing in fast, McLaren can ill afford another weekend compromised by uncertainty and caution.
The key question now is whether McLaren can rediscover their aggressive edge without risking another brush with the FIA’s disqualification rules. One thing is certain: with only a few races remaining, every setup decision could prove decisive in shaping the outcome of the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship.
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