McLaren endured a devastating outcome at the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix after both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were disqualified for excessive plank wear. Team principal Andrea Stella said the cause was “unexpected severe porpoising” during the race and apologised to both drivers after their title campaigns suffered a major setback.
The FIA inspection revealed the MCL39s failed to meet the minimum plank thickness of 9mm. Measurements showed 8.88mm on the front right and 8.93mm on the rear. Stella clarified that Norris’ car was missing a maximum of 0.12mm and Piastri’s a maximum of 0.26mm, leaving the team outside the tolerance by fractions comparable to the thickness of paper.
Despite the small margin, both drivers lost significant points. Norris dropped from second place, while Piastri lost his fourth-place finish, stripping McLaren of a crucial haul in the tightening championship battle.
Table of Contents
Unexpected porpoising caused excessive floor strikes
Stella explained that the high levels of plank wear were caused by a behaviour that had not appeared during practice.
“During the race, both cars were experiencing severe porpoising at a level not seen in practice, which resulted in excessive contact with the road surface.”
He added that both cars showed signs of accidental damage after the race, and the team is investigating whether this contributed to increased floor deflection.
McLaren’s cars could be seen generating unusually heavy sparks throughout the race, indicating repeated and forceful underfloor strikes.
Stella also said the FIA accepted that the breach was unintentional and not an attempt to bend the rules.
Norris: “Frustrating, but the team was pushing for the limit”
Norris admitted that his dramatic late-race lift-and-coast sequence, which cost around 14 seconds, was a response to concerns about plank wear.
“It’s frustrating. I had to manage the situation towards the end of the race and it turned out to be a problem with the car, which unfortunately led to my disqualification.”
“The team always pushes us to perform to the limit, but we just couldn’t find that balance today.”
He added that his focus now shifts fully to Qatar.
Piastri: “Disappointing to end with no points”
Piastri accepted the result but noted that the team was aggressively chasing performance.
“It’s disappointing to end the weekend with no points. With the races so close, we’re always looking for ways to improve our performance, but we just weren’t able to do that this time.”
He said the aim now is to reset mentally and extract maximum points from the final two rounds, both at circuits where McLaren has previously been strong.
The disqualification leaves Piastri 24 points behind Norris, who had held a comfortable advantage heading into the weekend.
Stella apologises to both drivers
Stella acknowledged the scale of the setback and took responsibility on behalf of the team.
“I’m sorry to Lando and Oscar for costing them points at such a crucial stage in the championship, after such a great run. I also feel sorry for our partners and fans who supported us.”
He added that McLaren will regroup quickly and push hard in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
The team leaves Las Vegas with no points but remains in contention for both titles as the season reaches its final two rounds.
