McLaren's 'hara-kiri' decision throws the title race into disarray.

      The Formula 1 championship battle has been significantly reignited following the disqualifications of both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri from the Las Vegas GP due to excessive wear on the plank. Just hours after the race concluded, FIA officials determined that both McLaren cars had violated the minimum thickness standard, cutting Norris' lead over Max Verstappen from 42 points down to just 24, with two grand prix and a sprint event still remaining. Verstappen is now tied on points with Piastri.

      "Max Verstappen’s influence suddenly looms much larger," noted Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport. La Repubblica commented that "McLaren has committed hara-kiri in Las Vegas," while Austria’s Kurier speculated that "0.12 millimeters could determine the World Championship."

      This ruling follows an increased focus from the FIA due to reports after Brazil indicating that various teams were testing heat-expanding titanium skid plates to reduce plank wear. The Japanese outlet as-web.jp reported that some technical directors believe certain competitors have found ways to make the skids absorb "significant amounts of heat."

      McLaren claimed that the violation in Vegas resulted from damage. "We discovered post-race that the floor was moving excessively," stated team principal Andrea Stella. McLaren's engineers seemingly hinted at potential issues during the race as sensor data raised alarm bells, leading to Norris being instructed to ease off the throttle for what the team publicly attributed to fuel management. Piastri did not receive the same guidance due to his ongoing battles on track.

      "I think there were just some car issues," Norris remarked prior to hearing about his disqualification. "The team communicated with me over the radio, so I had to ease off a bit." Despite avoiding disqualification, the Briton acknowledged his concerns regarding McLaren’s performance. "Recently, it seems we've improved our qualifying speed, but our race pace has taken a hit," he said. "We'll assess what has changed in the past weeks and how we can enhance our performance for Qatar."

      Red Bull, on the other hand, left Las Vegas feeling confident even before the disqualifications. Dr. Helmut Marko claimed that Verstappen had put Norris under pressure. "He forced him into a mistake," he told the media, referencing Norris’ error at turn 1. "From that point on, Max could always respond. He was the quickest and managed his tires well. Norris would never have caught up to us."

      Piastri noted that his chances of winning the championship had diminished. "Now I'm in a position where I can't clinch it just by winning races," he said. "What I can do is place myself in the best position to benefit if anything occurs. My goal is to win the next two races—that's all I can focus on."

      NOS analyst Jeroen Bleekemolen also remarked on the dramatic shift in the situation. "The title race is essentially wide open again," he stated. "Those 24 points create a reasonable gap, but there's also a sprint in Qatar. It’s within reach again."