Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have broken their silence following the disqualification of both McLaren drivers from the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Norris, who finished second behind race winner Max Verstappen, and Piastri, who finished fourth, had their cars fail post-race technical checks due to excessive skid-block wear, resulting in their disqualification. This development has now made the championship race more open as there are only two rounds remaining.
Currently, Norris leads Piastri and four-time world champion Verstappen by 24 points heading into the upcoming race in Qatar and the season finale in Abu Dhabi next month.
In a post-race statement, Norris expressed frustration over the disqualification, citing issues with their car’s performance balance. He emphasized the team’s focus on delivering the best possible performance in the upcoming races.
Similarly, Piastri expressed disappointment over the disqualification, highlighting the need to reset and refocus for the final two rounds where they aim to maximize their points.
McLaren issued an apology to Norris and Piastri, acknowledging the breach of Technical Regulations relating to skid thickness. The team explained that unexpected car behavior during the race led to the breach unintentionally and expressed regret for the loss of points.
FIA scrutineers found that the planks beneath the McLaren cars were below the required minimum thickness of 9mm, indicating an illegally low ride height that led to their disqualification from the final classification.
Despite the setback, McLaren remains focused on the remaining races of the season.