McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have been excluded from the results of Formula 1's Las Vegas Grand Prix, in a huge twist to the 2025 F1 title battle.
Norris and Piastri have been stripped of second and fourth place respectively in the classification due to a rearmost skid block wear infringement - with the measured thickness less than the minimum figure required, which stands at 9mm.
New Vegas GP top 10
1 Verstappen
2 Russell
3 Antonelli
4 Leclerc
5 Sainz
6 Hadjar
7 Hulkenberg
8 Hamilton
9 Ocon
10 Bearman
Norris had gone into extreme pace management mode in the final four laps so a fuel issue was speculated - before stewards' summons came out revealing both McLarens were being looked into for skid wear.
After the initial measurement triggered the investigation, "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 wrote.
In fact, they added that "the relevant measurements were evan lower than those measured originally" by technical delegate Jo Bauer.
Insufficient mitigation
The FIA "strongly held the view that the breach was unintentional", i.e. not a deliberate attempt at a rule breach, the stewards wrote.
They said McLaren argued that "additional and unexpected porpoising" in Vegas served as mitigation, along with prior disruptions to practice - and that "the degree of the breach was lower than prior breaches of this regulation" in 2025.
The FIA may have concurred - but said there was "no provision in the regulations or in precedent" for any penalty other than disqualification.
And the stewards ultimately agreed, while also ruling against McLaren's claim that "potentially accidental damage that may have led to movement of the floor which could have caused additional wear" was relevant as mitigation.
This was listed in both the Norris and the Piastri ruling, though only Piastri's car was really suspected of being significantly damaged - in the Turn 1 collision with Liam Lawson.
The double exclusion makes no difference to McLaren's constructors' championship standing - given it clinched the title in Singapore with six rounds to go.
However, it places it at ever-increased risk of letting the drivers' crown slip away, in creating a massive points swing in favour of Vegas winner Max Verstappen.
Standings post-race
1 Norris 408
2 Piastri 378 (+30)
3 Verstappen 366 (+42)
Standings after double DSQ
1 Norris 390
2 Piastri 366 (+24)
3 Verstappen 366 (+24)
There are also significant impacts further down the grid among both drivers and teams.
Most notable is Kimi Antonelli - who overcame a five-second penalty for jumping the start applied post-race - inheriting a third podium in F1, as part of a much-increased points haul for Mercedes (with George Russell promoted to second).
It means Mercedes is now 40 points clear of Red Bull in the fight for second in the constructors', with Ferrari a further 13 back - as both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have picked up extra points.
The double DSQ promotes both Haas cars into the points - and takes it one point clear of Aston Martin in the constructors' - but also allows ninth-placed Sauber to close in on both, now five back from Haas and four back from Aston Martin respectively.
