Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris disqualified as Max Verstappen wins

After the race, the McLaren duo were summoned before the stewards after the governing FIA reported that there was excessive wear on the rear blocks of their cars. After a long meeting with the FIA, both McLarens were sensationally disqualified.

In a statement from the FIA, it was confirmed that both McLaren cars were disqualified for technical non-compliance as the plank thickness was below the minimum permissible thickness.

F1 rules state that the plank assembly on the underside of a car, also known as the guard block, must have a minimum thickness of 9mm after the race, meaning a maximum wear of 1mm is allowed from the original 10mm thickness.

An excessively worn skid block allows the vehicle to run lower and gain a technical advantage, often resulting in immediate disqualification.

Lewis Hamilton has been disqualified from the 2025 Shanghai Grand Prix after the rear guard block on his Ferrari was found to be below the minimum thickness required in the technical regulations. Sauber driver Nico Hulkenberg was disqualified from the Bahrain Grand Prix in April for similar reasons.

According to F1 journalist and commentator Chris Medland, McLaren argued that “extenuating circumstances existed in the additional and unexpected hogticking… limited testing opportunity and shortened practice sessions due to weather conditions on Day 1”, but these were rejected.

McLaren’s disqualification means the three-horse race between Norris, Piastri and Verstappen is now closer than ever.

Norris is currently tied on 390 points, while Piastri and Verstappen are tied on 366 points. That’s a 24-point lead, which is less than a race win.

McLaren naturally complains about the loss of valuable points, but this disqualification hurt Norris more than Piastri. Before the disqualification, Norris was champion-in-waiting and ready to clinch his first title.

Piastri’s childhood dream of winning the crown was mathematically possible but unlikely. To regain the championship he needed to win the next two races plus the sprint race and hope his teammate finished below fourth.

Now the Australian’s closing margin is much smaller.

He also has the advantage of driving a car suitable for the next two circuits. The penultimate race of the season, the Lusail International Circuit, is a fast track characterized by high speed and long corners, which will facilitate the McLaren set-up. Similarly, the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi is known for its straights and fast corners that would suit the Papaya team.

Unfortunately, Piastri has a problem; He is equal on points with four-time world champion Max Verstappen.

Verstappen clinched his 69th grand prix win and sixth trophy this year by taking a commanding lead from lap one in Vegas. This is a remarkable achievement for Red Bull and for a driver who found himself out of the championship midway through the season.

Verstappen has also won multiple times in Abu Dhabi and Qatar and is known for enjoying tough challenges. McLaren’s disqualification will be music to the Dutchman’s ears.

Another obstacle for Piastri remains his qualifying performance. He finished sixth in Texas, third in Singapore, eighth in Mexico and third in Sao Paulo. He has not won the Dutch Grand Prix since the last day of August and has only finished on the podium once in seven races since then.

This disqualification was a blessing in disguise for Piastri; a touch of ironic magic.

Now he needs to take advantage of this.