The stewards explained the disqualification of the McLaren drivers.

      A few hours after the finish of the Las Vegas Grand Prix the stewards disqualified Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri for their cars' non-compliance with the technical regulations. In the published decisions, which were identical for Norris and Piastri except for the plank wear figures, the stewards explained their reasoning and why they did not accept McLaren's explanations for the increased wear.

      "The skid plank measured on the car bearing number 4 [and number 81 – ed.] showed a thickness of less than the 9 mm prescribed in paragraph 3.5.9 of the Technical Regulations," the Las Vegas Grand Prix stewards' decision states. "Measurements showed a thickness of 8.88 mm at the front right [8.96 mm at the front left, 8.74 mm at the front right for Piastri] and 8.93 mm at the rear right [8.90 mm at the rear right for Piastri].

      A Mitutoyo micrometer, purchased in May 2025, was used for the measurements. The measurement accuracy according to the manufacturer's specification is 0.001 mm.

      The plank was re-measured in the presence of the stewards and three McLaren representatives, and these measurements confirmed that the plank did not comply with the regulations. As a result of further checking of the measurements, it was found that the actual non-compliance was even greater than that initially identified by the technical delegate. The stewards determined that there had been a breach of the technical regulations.

      The stewards then held a hearing to determine the appropriate sanctions. The team argued that mitigating circumstances could include factors such as an unexpected level of porpoising on the straights at this circuit, limited opportunities to carry out tests due to the weather on the first day, and shortened practice sessions.

      The team also stated that the severity of the infringement was lower than other similar breaches of this paragraph of the regulations that had occurred earlier in 2025. The FIA replied that, unfortunately, the regulations and precedents provide for no other penalty than the usual sanction, i.e. disqualification.

      The FIA noted that it is firmly of the view that the breach was unintentional and that there was no attempt by the team to circumvent the rules.

      The stewards also took into account various decisions of the FIA International Court of Appeal, which limit the possibility of avoiding disqualification for technical infringements.

      Despite the team's assertion that there may have been accidental damage that could have caused displacement of the car's floor and additional wear, the stewards did not consider this sufficient to mitigate the penalty."