Both McLaren machines, piloted by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, have been sensationally expelled from the classification, detonating a seismic shockwave through the championship narrative. What began as a routine post-race inspection rapidly escalated into an uncompromising verdict that erased both drivers from the results sheet with surgical brutality.
Stewards determined that the rearmost skid plank on each car had worn below the mandated thickness — an infraction with zero wiggle room. In the eyes of the FIA, this is not a “maybe you tried your best” situation; it’s a hard-line technical breach, and the penalty is as unforgiving as the Las Vegas asphalt that likely caused it.
The decision instantly obliterates McLaren’s hard-earned points haul, hurling the title fight into absolute pandemonium. Norris’ campaign, already hanging by a thread after late-race fuel dramas, now suffers a catastrophic blow, while Piastri’s fading hopes collapse entirely under the weight of technical non-compliance.
In the paddock, the fallout has taken on an operatic tone. Engineers scramble for explanations, rivals sniff opportunity, and pundits delight in the chaos like hawks circling fresh roadkill. A single millimetre of missing plank material has rewritten weeks of championship arithmetic — a brutal reminder that in Formula One, physics and regulations are the only two forces that never blink.
With tensions rising and the season nearing its crescendo, the disqualifications will almost certainly trigger renewed scrutiny of setup choices, circuit bumps, and aggressive ride-height strategies. And as the dust settles on this regulatory smackdown, the sport braces itself for a title battle now reshaped by the cold precision of the rulebook.
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