Historic Disqualification at the Las Vegas Grand Prix: McLaren Loses All Points
The urban circuit of Las Vegas has been the stage for one of the most controversial decisions of the Formula 1 season 🏎️. The stewards have disqualified both McLaren drivers after finding technical irregularities in the post-race verification that have completely changed the championship landscape.
Technical Analysis of the Disqualification
The post-race inspection revealed that the skirts of the single-seaters of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri showed excessive wear that exceeded the limits established in the FIA's technical regulations. This finding forced the stewards to apply the immediate exclusion of both drivers from the final classification of the Grand Prix.
Determining Factors in the Wear:- Extreme weather conditions with unusually low temperatures for a night race
- Abrasive characteristics of the specific asphalt of the Las Vegas street circuit
- Unexpected behavior of the skirt materials under these particular conditions
"Sometimes in F1 you win by tenths and lose by millimeters, but in this particular case they lost due to overly worn skirts" - Post-race technical analysis
Immediate Impact on the Championship
The consequences of this technical decision have been immediate and profound. McLaren loses all the points obtained during the race, which substantially modifies the fight for the constructors' championship and affects the positions of all rival teams.
Direct Repercussions:- Complete reorganization of the constructors' championship standings
- Review of strategies by all teams for the remaining races
- Questioning of safety margins in technical components
McLaren Team's Official Position
The British team has issued an official statement accepting the stewards' decision although expressing its deep disappointment with the outcome. McLaren's engineers have detailed how the specific conditions of the circuit interacted with the materials in an unforeseen way, demonstrating once again that in elite motorsport even the most seemingly insignificant element can determine the fate of an entire race 🏁.