When Lando Norris crossed the line in second place at the Las Vegas Grand PrixLas Vegas Strip Circuit on November 22, 2025, it looked like his path to a first Formula 1 title was smooth sailing. Four hours later, just after 1:30 AM local time, the FIA dropped a bombshell: both Norris and his McLaren Racing teammate Oscar Piastri were disqualified for excessive floor plank wear. The McLaren MCL39 cars had worn down their titanium skid blocks to less than 9mm — the legal minimum — triggering an automatic DQ under 2022’s ground effect regulations. The twist? Norris had been told mid-race to slow down to preserve the floor. He didn’t know why. Now, he does.
What Went Wrong on the Strip?
The issue wasn’t driver error or sabotage. It was physics gone rogue. Team principal Andrea Stella, who’s led McLaren Racing since January 2023, admitted the cars suffered "accidental damage" during the race — likely from a minor curb strike or debris — that triggered violent porpoising not seen in any practice session. The result? The car’s underbody slammed into the track with brutal force, grinding the skid block down like sandpaper on concrete. Norris’s pace dropped 2.8 seconds per lap in the final three laps, a dramatic fade that had fans and pundits speculating about fuel strategy. It wasn’t fuel. It was damage control.
"We had to do some managing towards the end," Norris said in a team statement. "And now we know it was due to some issues on our car." The irony? McLaren’s engineers were trying to save the car. They didn’t realize the damage was already irreversible. The FIA’s laser scans showed the left-side plank on Norris’s car measured just 7.1mm. Piastri’s was worse: 6.8mm. Both were below the 9mm threshold. No exceptions. No mercy.
Championship Chaos: Norris Keeps Lead, But Loses Ground
Before the disqualification, Norris led the Drivers’ Championship by 24 points over Piastri and 30 over Max Verstappen, the three-time defending champion who won the race in his Oracle Red Bull Racing RB21. With Norris’s second place erased and Piastri’s fourth gone, the standings flipped. Norris still leads — but only by 24 points, now tied with Piastri in points after the DQ. Verstappen gained six points on Norris. And suddenly, the title race isn’t a two-horse fight. It’s a three-way brawl.
"It’s a gut punch," said one senior McLaren engineer, speaking off-record. "We were two laps from sealing it. Now we’re playing chess with fire." Norris needs just two top-three finishes in the final two races — Qatar Grand PrixLusail International Circuit and Abu Dhabi Grand PrixYas Marina Circuit — to lock in the title. Verstappen needs maximum points in both, plus Norris to finish fifth or worse in at least one race. Piastri? He’s still in it, but now as the spoiler, not the challenger.
Why This Matters Beyond the Points
This isn’t just about a championship. It’s about legacy. Norris, 26, is on the verge of becoming Britain’s 11th Formula 1 World Champion — a milestone no British driver has achieved since Lewis Hamilton in 2020. For McLaren Racing, which has competed since 1966 and won 12 Drivers’ titles, this is one of the most humiliating technical failures in its 59-year history. The team has spent $1.2 billion over the last four years rebuilding its aerodynamic program. This isn’t a glitch. It’s a systemic flaw.
"We’ve seen floor wear before," said former FIA technical director Pat Symonds. "But never at this scale, and never when the team was actively trying to manage it. That suggests a flaw in the simulation models — they didn’t predict how the damage would propagate." In other words, McLaren’s engineers didn’t see this coming because their software didn’t account for real-world chaos. That’s a red flag for the entire sport.
What Happens Next?
McLaren has 48 hours to appeal the decision — but the rules are clear: if the plank is below 9mm, disqualification is mandatory. No discretion. No leniency. The team is reportedly reviewing telemetry from every lap, trying to pinpoint whether the damage occurred on Turn 1’s curb, Turn 8’s bump, or somewhere else entirely. Meanwhile, the FIA has signaled it may tighten plank inspection protocols for future street circuits — especially those with rougher surfaces like Las Vegas, Monaco, or Singapore.
For fans, the final two races just became must-watch TV. Verstappen is riding a 15-win streak. Norris is carrying the hopes of a nation. Piastri, once the understudy, now has a shot at dethroning his own teammate. And the championship, once seemingly decided, is suddenly wide open — with every bump on the track now carrying the weight of history.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why were Norris and Piastri disqualified even though they didn’t break the rules on purpose?
Formula 1’s technical regulations are strict about minimum plank thickness — 9mm — regardless of intent. The rule exists to prevent teams from gaining aerodynamic advantage by letting the car’s floor touch the track too aggressively. Even if the wear was accidental, as McLaren claims, the car still violated the rule. The FIA has no mechanism to distinguish between deliberate and accidental violations — only compliance or non-compliance.
How does this affect McLaren’s Constructors’ Championship chances?
McLaren still leads the Constructors’ Championship by 38 points over Red Bull, but this DQ cost them 34 points (18 for Norris, 16 for Piastri). That narrows the gap to just 4 points. With 44 points still available across Qatar and Abu Dhabi, Red Bull can overtake them if Verstappen wins both races and Norris finishes outside the top two. McLaren’s lead is now razor-thin — and the pressure on every corner just intensified.
Could Norris still win the Drivers’ title after this?
Yes — and it’s actually easier now. Before the DQ, Norris needed to finish second in both remaining races to guarantee the title. Now, he only needs to finish third in both. Even if Verstappen wins both and Piastri finishes second, Norris’s 24-point lead means he can afford to finish fourth in one race and still clinch it. His margin for error is wider than ever — but the mental toll of this setback is unknown.
Is this the biggest technical failure in McLaren’s history?
It’s one of the most consequential. In 1989, McLaren lost the title due to a controversial disqualification after a collision with Senna — but that was a sporting penalty. This is a technical failure at the highest level of engineering. No McLaren car has ever lost two podiums in one race due to floor wear. With the team investing billions in aerodynamics since 2022, this exposes a blind spot in their simulation models — making it arguably their most embarrassing technical lapse in decades.
What changes might the FIA make after this incident?
The FIA may introduce real-time plank wear monitoring during races, especially on street circuits. Currently, inspections happen only after the race. With sensors embedded in skid blocks now technically feasible, we could see live data feeds to stewards in future seasons. This incident has exposed a loophole: teams can manage wear after damage occurs, but the rule doesn’t account for dynamic failure. Expect tighter rules — and possibly mandatory in-race inspections — by 2026.
Why didn’t the team spot the issue during the race?
Because the porpoising was unexpected. McLaren’s telemetry showed increased vertical G-forces, but they assumed it was aerodynamic instability, not structural damage. The car’s sensors didn’t flag plank wear — only suspension behavior. Without real-time wear sensors, teams rely on visual cues and lap time degradation, both of which were masked by the race’s stop-start nature. By the time they slowed Norris down, the damage was already done. It’s a lesson in blind spots — even for the best teams.