Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have broken their silence following their disqualification from the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Norris finished second behind race winner Max Verstappen, while Piastri finished fourth, but both drivers were disqualified due to their cars failing post-race technical checks.
According to a statement from the FIA, the reason for the disqualification was excessive wear on the skid blocks, nullifying their results and shaking up the title race with only two rounds left. Norris now leads Piastri and four-time world champion Verstappen by 24 points ahead of the upcoming race in Qatar and the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
In response, Norris expressed his frustration at the outcome, attributing it to car issues that led to the disqualification. He stated that the team’s focus is now on delivering the best performance in the upcoming Qatar race.
Piastri also voiced his disappointment at leaving the weekend empty-handed due to the disqualification. He emphasized the need to regroup, refocus, and aim for the best possible points in the remaining two rounds.
McLaren issued an apology to both drivers for the disqualification, acknowledging a breach of Technical Regulations related to skid thickness. The team cited unexpected car behavior during the race as a factor and emphasized their commitment to investigating the issue further.
FIA scrutineers found that the planks beneath the McLaren cars were below the required minimum thickness of 9mm, indicating a violation of ride height regulations leading to their disqualification from the final classification.
