McLaren has issued an apology to both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri after the duo were disqualified from the F1 Las Vegas GP for excessive plank wear. The race had been a standard one for the team and the drivers, with Norris finishing second behind Max Verstappen and Piastri in fourth place. After the race, however, in the post-race scrutiny, both McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were found to have suffered from excessive plank wear that led to the duo being disqualified from the race. The result is a major blow for Norris, especially, who had emerged as the championship favorite after this race. If the original results had stayed, Lando Norris would be going into the F1 Qatar GP next race weekend 42 points ahead of rival Max Verstappen and 30 points clear of teammate Oscar Piastri. As it stands, the driver is only 24 points ahead of both Piastri and Verstappen. In the team’s press release, McLaren boss Andrea Stella issued an apology to the duo, as both were hampered in the title battle by the disqualification. He said, “During the race, both cars experienced unexpected, high levels of porpoising not seen in the Practice sessions, which led to excessive contact with the ground. We are investigating the reasons for this behaviour of the car, including the effect of accidental damage sustained by both cars, which we found after the race, and that led to an increase of movement of the floor.” He added, “As the FIA noted, the breach was unintentional, there was no deliberate attempt to circumvent the regulations, and mitigating circumstances also existed. We apologise to Lando and Oscar for the loss of points today, at a critical time in their Championship campaigns after two strong performances from them all weekend. Lando Norris on the McLaren’s double disqualification The disqualification severely hampers Lando Norris, as the driver almost had one hand on the trophy when he emerged in 2nd behind Max Verstappen. The driver had enough of a buffer that, unless he suffered a major incident, he could coast to the championship. Those dynamics have, however, changed now. Lando Norris’ lead over Max Verstappen is not too much, and the driver would have to be careful. In the team’s press release, the driver conceded that what’s done is done as the focus shifts to Qatar. He said, “It’s frustrating to lose so many points. As a team, we’re always pushing to find as much performance as we can, and we clearly didn’t get that balance right today. Nothing I can do will change that now, instead full focus switches to Qatar, where we’ll aim to go out and deliver the best possible performance in every session.” The next race in Qatar is certainly going to be interesting, as with two race weekends left, we have three drivers in contention for the championship. Something that hasn’t been the case since 2010.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/f1/news-mclaren-issues-apology-lando-norris-oscar-piastri-duo-disqualified-f1-las-vegas-gp
Tag: oscar piastri
Former F1 champion insists Oscar Piastri to be “more afraid” of Max Verstappen than McLaren teammate Lando Norris
Max Verstappen cut the gap in the drivers’ championship with a dominant pole-to-win performance in Baku, while title leader Oscar Piastri suffered his first DNF of the season on the opening lap. The result tightened the standings and prompted former world champion Jacques Villeneuve to sound a warning to Piastri: he should worry more about Verstappen than Lando Norris.
Norris could only manage seventh and failed to capitalize on his teammate’s trouble. His struggles began on Saturday in a chaotic qualifying session that produced six red flags. After brushing the wall in Sector 2, he lost rhythm and settled for seventh on the grid, leaving him stuck in the midfield for much of the race on Sunday.
Villeneuve was blunt in his assessment after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. “At worst, Norris should have finished second. An anonymous race for him. If I were Piastri, I’d be more afraid of Verstappen than of Norris,” he said. Villeneuve’s point was clear: after a messy qualifying in Baku and a tricky race weekend, Max Verstappen’s form is the bigger threat.
The Red Bull driver took pole and led every lap in Baku, converting a tricky qualifying into a controlled race win, following the same dominant performance last time out at Monza.
Oscar Piastri’s weekend, however, fell apart after a Q3 crash forced overnight repairs. Then came a jump-start on the grid, an anti-stall sequence, and a late lock-up into Turn 5 that left him in the wall on lap one and out of the race.
Norris started P7 after a disrupted qualifying and spent much of the race stuck behind Yuki Tsunoda in a DRS train, finishing seventh.
### Championship Standings Tighten
The title fight is now finely poised. Piastri leads with 324 points, Norris trails with 299, and Verstappen has climbed to 255. Villeneuve’s point remains clear: Verstappen has the momentum and pace to turn tricky weekends into maximum points, making him the bigger late-season threat—even if Norris is in a superior car.
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### Why Max Verstappen Is Unlikely to Win the 2025 Drivers’ Title
With seven rounds left, the maximum points haul available to a driver is 199 points: 25 points from seven Grands Prix and 24 points from three sprint events. Verstappen is currently 69 points behind Piastri.
Even if the Dutchman won all remaining events, his total would reach 454 points. Should Piastri finish third in each race, he would end on 447 points—a narrow margin but enough to hold the crown.
The last time a similar comeback occurred was in 2007, when Kimi Räikkönen overcame a 16-point gap to rookie Lewis Hamilton in the final five races. While today’s points system offers larger totals, the principle remains—the deficit requires relentless wins and rivals’ faltering.
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### McLaren’s Outlook and the Season Ahead
McLaren principal Andrea Stella has acknowledged the shift in momentum. While Red Bull’s upgrades in Monza and Baku helped Verstappen, the calendar still favors the papaya cars. Tracks like Singapore, Qatar, and Mexico—known for high downforce—have benefitted McLaren all year.
Norris, meanwhile, stands to benefit if Piastri falters again. His consistency throughout the year and strong qualifying form at technical tracks make him the likelier challenger in the season run-in.
This confidence is shared within McLaren, where the team believes the MCL39’s season-long pace will prevail.
Piastri himself brushed aside concerns after Baku over Verstappen’s resurgence. He still leads the championship and has time to steady himself before the final push.
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### Conclusion
For now, Max Verstappen’s back-to-back poles and wins have sharpened the title fight and forced McLaren to confront fresh pressure. But unless the papaya team unravels, the numbers and upcoming circuits suggest that a late title swing is more unlikely than inevitable.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/f1/news-former-f1-champion-insists-oscar-piastri-more-afraid-max-verstappen-mclaren-teammate-lando-norris