McLaren disqualification, explained: Why Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri were penalized at Las Vegas Grand Prix

McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were both disqualified from the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Sunday morning, F1 announced.

Norris and Piastri's cars were "found not to comply with technical regulations," resulting in disqualification for both. Norris, who started in pole position, had finished second in the race ahead of George Russell, while Piastri had finished fourth. 

The two McLaren drivers came into the weekend ranked first and second at the top of the driver's standings, but they'll now leave Las Vegas with Max Verstappen on their heels.

Here's what to know about Norris and Piastri being disqualified from the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

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McLaren disqualification

Coming into the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Norris began on pole position with a 24-point lead over his McLaren teammate, Piastri, in the standings. While Verstappen finished this weekend's race in first, Norris placed second and Piastri fourth.

Then, F1 announced on Sunday morning that both McLaren drivers had been disqualified from the Las Vegas Grand Prix for their cars not complying with technical regulations.

"Post-race, the rearmost skid wear on both McLaren MCL39 machines was found to be below the minimum 9mm thickness by technical delegates on inspection," F1's statement read. "The matter was referred to the stewards, who subsequently disqualified both cars from the official result, with Norris having finished second and Piastri fourth."

Because of the McLaren disqualifications, Verstappen gained significant ground in the standings, now tied with Piastri for second on the season.

According to F1, the stewards' document stated that the skid blocks on Norris and Piastri's cars were "measured and found to be below the minimum thickness of 9mm specified under Article 3.5.9 of the Technical Regulations."

"The rear skids were re-measured in the presence of the Stewards and the three McLaren representatives, and those measurements confirmed that the skids did not comply with the regulations," the stewards' document read, per F1. "The relevant measurements were even lower than those measured originally by the Technical Delegate."

Additionally, the stewards said "the FIA noted that it strongly held the view that the breach was unintentional and that there was not a deliberate attempt to circumvent the regulations."

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Why was Lando Norris disqualified?

Lando Norris, and Oscar Piastri, were disqualified from the Las Vegas Grand Prix for the thickness of the rearmost skid of their cars being less than the required thickness. Specifically, the rearmost skid wear on their cars was "below the minimum 9mm thickness by technical delegates on inspection."

Norris' second-place finish and Piastri's fourth-place finish were negated, making the top of the F1 standings closer.

F1 standings

Here's an updated look at the F1 standings after the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

F1 Drivers' World Championship 2025

F1 Constructors' Championship 2025

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Las Vegas Grand Prix results

Here are the full results from the Las Vegas Grand Prix.