McLaren Hit With Double Disqualification in Las Vegas — Rare F1 Shock With Controversial History

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, both of McLaren, were disqualified from the Formula 1 Heineken Las Vegas Grand Prix 2025 because their constructor’s car didn’t pass inspection after the race.

The Las Vegas Grand Prix 2025 delivered one of the most dramatic post-race twists in recent Formula 1 memory as both McLaren cars — Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri — were disqualified after failing post-race scrutineering. What initially looked like a massive result for the championship leaders turned into a nightmare within hours of the chequered flag.

Rule Is Rule, Even Though Infraction Wasn’t Intentional

Norris had finished an impressive P2, while Piastri brought home P4, giving McLaren what appeared to be a crucial points haul in their title bid. But all of it vanished when FIA officials confirmed that both MCL39s featured excessive skid-block (plank) wear, placing the cars below the regulatory minimum thickness.

The FIA explained that the infraction wasn’t considered intentional, but the rule is absolute: if the plank wears below the required thickness, disqualification is automatic. It’s a regulation designed to prevent teams from running cars too low to gain aerodynamic performance advantages.

McLaren: “Extremely disappointing”

McLaren issued a public apology to fans and its drivers, calling the double DSQ “extremely disappointing” and pointing to unexpected chassis oscillations and track bumps as contributing factors. But the damage was done.

The consequences for the championship picture are enormous. Norris had entered Las Vegas with a narrow edge over Max Verstappen, but losing a second-place finish at this stage of the season could become the defining moment of the title fight. Verstappen, who finished third on the road but was elevated to second after Norris’ exclusion, suddenly finds himself back in position to challenge with only two races to go. It’s a shift that also forces betting markets to reassess championship probabilities. For fans following updated odds, the list of bookmakers offers an overview of where the market is moving.

For Piastri, the setback was equally bitter. The Australian has been in the form of his life in the second half of the season, and a fourth-place result would have strengthened McLaren’s bid for the Constructors’ Championship. Instead, McLaren leaves Las Vegas empty-handed, opening the door for Red Bull and Ferrari to close in.

Team principal Andrea Stella said McLaren will launch a full internal investigation into how both cars fell foul of regulations on the same weekend — a rarity in F1’s modern era. “We can’t afford this at this point in the championship,” Stella admitted. “We owe our drivers and our fans better.”

Adding to the drama is how rarely such incidents occur. While single-car disqualifications for technical infringements happen a few times each decade, double DSQs — where both cars from the same team are excluded from the race — are among the rarest outcomes in Formula 1. And now, McLaren joins that short and infamous list.

Rare Occurrence: Chronology of Modern-Era F1 Double Race Disqualifications

Although shocking, McLaren’s dual exclusion in Las Vegas isn’t unprecedented. Below is the modern-era list of confirmed cases (excluding qualifying DSQs and overturned rulings), where both cars from the same team were thrown out of the Grand Prix result:

• 1996 European Grand Prix — Tyrrell (Salo & Katayama)

Salo’s car was underweight, while Katayama received illegal assistance after stalling — both leading to disqualification.

• 2002 Australian Grand Prix — Arrows (Frentzen & Bernoldi)

Frentzen drove through a red light at the pit exit, and Bernoldi illegally switched to the spare car after the race started.

• 2004 Canadian Grand Prix — Williams (R. Schumacher & Montoya)

Both Williams FW26s were excluded for illegal front brake ducts discovered in post-race inspection.
Also in the same race: Toyota (da Matta & Panis) suffered the same fate for the same violation, making it the only Grand Prix to feature two teams losing both cars.

• 2005 San Marino Grand Prix — BAR-Honda (Button & Sato)

The FIA Court of Appeal ruled that the BAR 007 used a secondary fuel reservoir that allowed the car to run below minimum weight.

• 2019 Japanese Grand Prix — Renault (Ricciardo & Hülkenberg)

Both cars were excluded after Renault’s brake-bias system was ruled to be an illegal driver aid.

• 2025 Chinese Grand Prix — Ferrari (Leclerc & Hamilton)

Leclerc’s car was underweight; Hamilton’s had excessive plank wear. Ferrari suffered their first-ever double DSQ.

• 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix — McLaren (Norris & Piastri)

Excessive plank wear on both cars produced the most recent — and championship-altering — double disqualification.