When the chequered flag fell at the Formula 1 Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2025Las Vegas Strip Circuit on Sunday, November 23, 2025, Max Verstappen celebrated his second straight win on the glittering Strip — but the real story unfolded hours later, when the FIA disqualified both McLaren Racing drivers from the podium. Skid wear infringement — a technicality that had slipped under the radar all season — erased Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri’s second- and third-place finishes, turning a McLaren coronation into a historic implosion. It was the first time in Formula One history that both cars from a single team had been disqualified from the same Grand Prix, and the second time this season a team lost both drivers to technical penalties — the first being China, where the same issue cropped up but didn’t carry the same championship weight.
The Race That Changed Everything
Verstappen, driving his Red Bull Racing RB21, was in control from the start, converting pole position into a commanding lead. He completed 50 laps in 1 hour, 21 minutes, and 8.429 seconds at an average speed of 229.201 km/h — a blistering pace that left no room for error. But behind him, chaos brewed. Norris, who’d snatched pole on Saturday, lost the lead on Lap 12 after a cautious pit stop strategy backfired. Piastri, meanwhile, clawed his way up from seventh to third, looking like a sure podium finisher. The race was supposed to be a McLaren showcase — until it wasn’t.
Three hours after the finish, the FIA’s technical delegates announced the disqualifications. Both McLarens had exceeded the allowable skid block wear limits — a measure designed to prevent teams from running dangerously low ride heights to gain aerodynamic advantage. The skid blocks, mounted under the car’s floor, wear down over time. Teams must keep them above a minimum thickness to ensure safety and fairness. Norris’s car measured at 0.9mm; the limit is 1.0mm. Piastri’s was even lower at 0.8mm. Neither driver nor team had been warned during the race. The penalty was retroactive, automatic, and final.
The Podium That Never Was
With the McLarens erased, George Russell inherited second for Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, and Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the 19-year-old Italian rookie, completed the podium in third — his third of the season and first back-to-back. Antonelli had started 17th after a qualifying mishap and carried a five-second penalty into the race. He survived a chaotic opening lap, avoided the Turn 1 pile-up involving Lance Stroll and Gabriel Bortoleto, and drove a masterclass in patience. He passed seven cars in the final 15 laps, including Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, who finished tenth after starting from the back on hard tires.
Hamilton’s charge was one of the race’s most compelling arcs. The seven-time champion, now 40, was running in the top five early before a late tire degradation issue dropped him. He still clawed back to tenth — a remarkable effort on a track where overtaking is notoriously difficult. Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda finished 14th after starting from the pit lane, and Liam Lawson missed the points despite a strong start, lamenting: "It was extremely slippery into Turn 1... we should have had two cars in the points today."
Championship Fallout
The disqualifications didn’t just shake up the podium — they rewrote the Drivers’ Championship math. Before Las Vegas, Norris led Piastri by 49 points (390 to 341) and held a 49-point advantage over Verstappen. Now, Norris leads Piastri by just 24 points (390 to 366), and Verstappen is suddenly within striking distance — only 24 points behind Norris. With only two races left and 58 points still available, the title fight is wide open. Verstappen’s win gave him 26 points, his 11th of the season. He’s now 19 points behind Norris in the standings — not 49. The momentum has shifted.
McLaren, meanwhile, had already clinched the Constructors’ Championship at the Singapore Grand Prix. But this result has implications for second place. Mercedes now sits at 366 points, Red Bull at 341. With 101 points still on the table, Mercedes is in a strong position to seal second — but Red Bull, with Verstappen on fire and Yuki Tsunoda showing flashes of pace, isn’t giving up.
What Went Wrong for McLaren?
McLaren’s technical team had been monitoring skid wear all season — but never saw a threat until now. The issue wasn’t negligence; it was miscalculation. The team had assumed the wear rate would be lower on the Las Vegas Strip’s abrasive asphalt, but the high-speed corners and frequent braking zones ate through the blocks faster than expected. The team didn’t have real-time telemetry alerts for skid wear — only post-race checks. "We didn’t know," admitted McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella in a post-race press conference. "We were focused on tire degradation and fuel strategy. This wasn’t on our radar."
It’s a reminder that F1’s technical regulations are a minefield. Teams obsess over downforce, aero balance, and tire temps — but a 0.1mm difference in a piece of carbon-fiber composite can erase a podium. The FIA has since announced it will implement real-time skid wear telemetry for all teams in 2026 — a direct result of this race.
What’s Next?
The final two races — Abu Dhabi on December 13 and a yet-to-be-confirmed venue on December 20 — will decide everything. Verstappen has won five of the last seven races. Norris has won three. Piastri has shown he can win, but consistency remains his weakness. Mercedes has two strong drivers in Russell and Antonelli, who’s rapidly becoming the breakout star of the season. And Red Bull? They’re not just chasing — they’re hunting.
For McLaren, the question isn’t just about points. It’s about trust. Can they rebuild confidence in their technical systems? Will Norris and Piastri’s relationship survive this? And will the FIA’s new telemetry rules make the sport fairer — or just more bureaucratic?
Frequently Asked Questions
Why were Norris and Piastri disqualified after the race ended?
The FIA conducts post-race technical inspections, and skid wear is one of the most strictly monitored parameters. Both McLarens were found to have worn their skid blocks below the 1.0mm legal minimum — Norris at 0.9mm and Piastri at 0.8mm. Unlike penalties issued during the race, these are reviewed after the event and can be applied retroactively. This is standard procedure, but rarely results in dual disqualifications from the same team.
How did this affect the Drivers’ Championship standings?
Before the race, Norris led Piastri by 49 points and Verstappen by 49 points. After disqualification, Norris now leads Piastri by just 24 points (390 to 366), and Verstappen has closed the gap to Norris to 24 points (366 to 342). With only 58 points left in the final two races, Verstappen is now the clear title favorite, while Norris’s lead has evaporated.
What’s the significance of Antonelli’s podium finish?
Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s third podium — and second in a row — cements him as the most impressive rookie of 2025. Starting 17th with a five-second penalty, he passed 14 cars, including veterans like Hamilton and Leclerc. He’s now the only rookie since 2018 to achieve consecutive podiums. Mercedes is already considering him for a full-time seat in 2026, potentially replacing Russell.
Why didn’t McLaren see this coming?
McLaren’s telemetry systems tracked tire wear and fuel consumption closely, but skid wear was only monitored manually after races. The Las Vegas circuit’s abrasive surface and high braking loads caused faster-than-expected wear. The team assumed their conservative setup would be safe — but the numbers didn’t lie. This is a wake-up call for all teams: F1’s rules are evolving faster than their monitoring systems.
Will this change how teams approach future races?
Absolutely. The FIA has confirmed that real-time skid wear telemetry will be mandatory for all teams in 2026. Teams will now have live data feeds showing wear levels during the race, allowing them to adjust setups or pit strategies. This could lead to more conservative driving in high-wear circuits — or even strategic pit stops just to reset skid block wear.
Is this the end of McLaren’s dominance in 2025?
No — they’ve already secured the Constructors’ title. But their dominance in the Drivers’ Championship is over. Norris and Piastri are now in a tight battle, and Verstappen has the momentum. McLaren’s technical misstep has shifted the narrative from "unstoppable" to "vulnerable." They’ll still be favorites in Abu Dhabi, but the pressure is now on them to prove they can finish strong without a safety net.