JUST IN: McLaren facing shock double FIA disqualification at Las Vegas Grand Prix… Read more
McLaren Facing Possible Double FIA Disqualification After Las Vegas Grand Prix
By Hugo Harvey
Las Vegas –
McLaren’s weekend at the Las Vegas Grand Prix has taken a dramatic and unsettling turn, with both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri now at serious risk of being thrown out of the race results following a technical breach identified during post-race checks. What began as a rumble of uncertainty in the paddock quickly escalated into a full-blown controversy after an FIA document confirmed that both McLaren cars were found to be running rear skids below the required minimum thickness.
The tension first came to light when team principal Andrea Stella unexpectedly postponed his media duties, immediately raising eyebrows in the paddock. Moments later, FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis was spotted inside the McLaren garage — a sight rarely associated with routine checks. The situation intensified once the FIA’s technical delegate, Jo Bauer, submitted a formal statement confirming the suspected infringement.
According to Bauer’s report, inspections revealed that the rear skid blocks on both Norris’s No. 4 car and Piastri’s No. 81 car were worn below the legal limit of 9 millimetres. This measurement is mandated by Article 3.5.9(e) of the Technical Regulations and is generally considered a strict liability offence. In Formula 1, failures of this sort almost always result in disqualification, as the skid plank’s thickness ensures cars comply with ground-clearance rules designed to enforce safety and prevent excessive performance gains from low-ride-height setups.
The FIA document stated:
> “The skid wear of car numbers 81 and 04 was checked. The rearmost skid was measured on both cars according to the team’s legality documents submission in accordance with TD039 M, item 1.2 b) i). The measured thickness was less than 9 mm on both cars, which is the minimum thickness required by TR Article 3.5.9 e).”
Should the FIA proceed with disqualification, the impact on the championship will be staggering. Max Verstappen would immediately inherit valuable points, bringing him to within just 24 points of Norris at the top of the standings. Even more dramatically, the Dutchman would draw level with Piastri in the title fight, completely reshaping the battle heading into the final rounds of the season.
The repercussions extend far beyond the championship storyline. One of the most compelling outcomes of a double McLaren disqualification would be the elevation of Kimi Andrea Antonelli, who delivered a sensational performance from 17th on the grid. Throughout the final phase of the race, Antonelli found himself under immense pressure from both Piastri and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, yet the Mercedes prodigy showcased remarkable composure and tyre management. Despite running on heavily worn tyres, he executed a series of superb late-race laps, crucially building a gap of more than five seconds to Leclerc — a margin that now looks set to reward him with a remarkable podium finish.
For Antonelli, still in the early chapters of his Formula 1 career, such an achievement would mark a defining moment. Rising from the lower half of the grid to a potential top-three finish at a marquee event like the Las Vegas Grand Prix would not only reinforce Mercedes’ long-term faith in him but also ignite excitement across the sport about his future.
As the paddock awaits the stewards’ final ruling, McLaren finds itself in a deeply uncomfortable position. A dual disqualification would erase what had appeared to be another strong weekend for the team, while simultaneously injecting new intensity into an already unpredictable championship season. What happens next will likely shape not just the outcome of this Grand Prix, but the momentum and narrative heading into the decisive stretch of the year.
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