The 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix Las Vegas Strip Circuit ended in chaos just hours after the checkered flag fell. Formula 1’s most dramatic weekend of the season unfolded under the neon glow of the Strip, where Lando Norris stormed to pole position in soaking conditions — only to be stripped of his result moments after the race. His McLaren-Mercedes teammate, Oscar Piastri, met the same fate. The disqualifications didn’t just erase two podium finishes. They rewrote the championship narrative overnight.
Wet Qualifying, Perfect Timing
Friday’s qualifying session was a masterclass in adaptability. Rain had been falling intermittently since mid-afternoon, turning the Las Vegas Strip Circuit into a slick, unpredictable track. Norris, 25, delivered a flawless lap of 1:47.934 — a time that left even Max Verstappen speechless. The Dutchman, 32, clocked 1:48.257, just 0.323 seconds behind. Carlos Sainz of Williams-Mercedes squeezed into third, 0.039 seconds behind Verstappen, in what felt like a qualifying duel between the top three. Norris had now secured his third straight pole — a streak unmatched since Hamilton’s 2020 run."Pole in such tricky conditions was definitely not easy, but that makes the result even better," said Andrea Stella, McLaren’s Team Principal, in a post-qualifying statement. The team’s optimism was palpable. With Norris leading the Drivers’ Championship by 12 points over Verstappen and Piastri sitting just 11 points behind his teammate, a clean 1-2 finish would’ve all but sealed Norris’s title.
Race Day: Norris Leads, Then Falters
Saturday’s race began with Norris holding the lead, Verstappen right on his tail. But on the opening lap, exiting Turn 12, Norris’s left rear tire clipped the wet kerb. The car snapped sideways — just enough. Verstappen, ever the opportunist, dove down the inside. The pass was clean. No contact. Just pure racing instinct.From there, Verstappen never looked back. He built a 1.2-second gap per lap. George Russell of Mercedes held second, but was never a threat. Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the 19-year-old Mercedes rookie, stunned everyone by finishing third — his first podium. Charles Leclerc of Ferrari held fourth, just 0.2 seconds ahead of Sainz.
Then came the silence.
The Disqualification That Changed Everything
Post-race, the FIA’s technical inspectors pulled both McLaren cars for mandatory skid block checks. The skid block — a 10mm thick carbon fiber plate beneath the car — is designed to ensure minimum ride height. Wear beyond 1mm is a violation. McLaren’s cars showed 1.4mm and 1.3mm wear respectively. Both were disqualified."The skid block wear was outside the permitted tolerance," confirmed FIA Technical Delegate Niels Wittich in a statement. "There’s no discretion here. The rules are clear. Both cars are excluded from the results."
The fallout was immediate. Verstappen, who had been 12 points behind Norris before the race, now gained 25 points from the win. Norris lost 25. Piastri lost 18. The championship lead flipped. Verstappen now leads Norris by 1 point. Piastri, once 11 points behind Norris, is now 17 points behind Verstappen — and 18 behind Norris. The title fight, thought to be nearly over, is suddenly wide open.
McLaren’s Shock and the Championship Ripple
McLaren’s garage was silent. No shouting. No accusations. Just stunned faces. Norris, visibly shaken, spoke to reporters: "I gave everything. I don’t know how we missed this. It’s a team error. I take responsibility.""We’re reviewing every aspect of our setup," Stella said later. "We’ve been pushing the limits this season — and we pushed too far here."
It’s not the first time skid block violations have cost teams dearly. In 2021, Red Bull had Verstappen’s Monaco win revoked for a similar issue — though it was later reinstated after appeal. This time, there was no appeal. The evidence was unambiguous.
The ripple effect? Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, who finished 20th in qualifying and eighth in the race, now moves up to seventh — a rare points finish for the team. Haas-Ferrari’s Oliver Bearman, who crossed the line tenth, is now officially sixth. The points shuffle affects not just the Drivers’ Championship, but also the Constructors’ battle. McLaren, once leading by 14 points over Red Bull, now trails by 9.
What’s Next: Qatar Looms
The penultimate round in Qatar next weekend is now a do-or-die showdown. Verstappen needs to finish ahead of Norris by just one position to clinch his fifth title. Norris must win — and hope Verstappen finishes fifth or lower. Piastri, once a distant third, now has a realistic shot at second in the standings — if he can outscore Norris in Qatar."This isn’t over," said Toto Wolff, Mercedes Team Principal. "It’s F1. One mistake, one measurement, and everything changes."
For McLaren, the question isn’t just about points. It’s about trust. Can they rebuild confidence in their technical team before the final race in Abu Dhabi? And for Norris — the young star who’s been the season’s most consistent performer — can he recover from the weight of this loss?
Final Standings After Disqualification
- 1st: Max Verstappen (Red Bull-Honda RBPT)
- 2nd: George Russell (Mercedes)
- 3rd: Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
- 4th: Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
- 5th: Carlos Sainz (Williams-Mercedes)
- 6th: Isack Hadjar (VCARB-Honda RBPT)
- 7th: Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber-Ferrari)
- 8th: Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
- 9th: Esteban Ocon (Haas-Ferrari)
- 10th: Oliver Bearman (Haas-Ferrari)
Frequently Asked Questions
Why were Norris and Piastri disqualified for skid block wear?
The FIA mandates that the skid block — a carbon fiber plate under the car — must not wear beyond 1mm. McLaren’s cars showed 1.3mm and 1.4mm wear, exceeding the limit. This suggests the cars were running too low to the ground, potentially gaining aerodynamic advantage. No appeal was allowed because the violation was clear, documented, and consistent with FIA protocol.
How did the disqualification change the Drivers’ Championship standings?
Before the race, Norris led Verstappen by 12 points. After the disqualification, Norris lost 25 points (for a win), while Verstappen gained 25. The result flipped the lead: Verstappen now leads Norris by 1 point. Piastri dropped from 11 points behind Norris to 18 points behind him, opening the door for him to challenge for second in the standings.
Could McLaren have avoided this if they’d checked the skid blocks earlier?
Possibly. Teams typically inspect skid blocks after every session, but McLaren had been pushing their setup aggressively all season to maximize downforce. With wet conditions reducing tire degradation, they may have underestimated the additional stress on the underbody. The team admitted they didn’t conduct a full inspection post-qualifying — a critical oversight.
What does this mean for McLaren’s Constructors’ Championship chances?
McLaren was leading the Constructors’ Championship by 14 points over Red Bull before Las Vegas. After losing 43 points (25 from Norris, 18 from Piastri), they now trail by 9. Even if they win in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, Red Bull only needs to score 10 more points than McLaren across the final two races to win the title — a very achievable target.
Is this the first time McLaren has been disqualified for skid block issues?
No. In 2020, McLaren had two cars disqualified at the Turkish Grand Prix for the same violation. That incident led to a team-wide review of their ride height systems. This year’s setup, designed to be ultra-low for better airflow, appears to have ignored those lessons — a costly oversight.
Who benefits most from the disqualification?
Max Verstappen, without question. He now leads the championship by 1 point. But Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and Haas’s Oliver Bearman also gained — Hamilton moved from 8th to 7th, earning 6 extra points. Bearman went from 10th to 6th, gaining 8 points. For the first time this season, Haas is in serious contention for fourth in the Constructors’ standings.