F1 | Andrea Stella explains the “strange” McLaren behaviour behind double Las Vegas disqualification. Andrea Stella explains the unusual McLaren behaviour that led to the double disqualification of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

F1 | Double McLaren disqualification, Stella reveals a “strange” behaviour of the car

Andrea Stella has revealed a “strange” behaviour of the car that might explain why both McLaren drivers were disqualified in the Las Vegas Grand Prix. In Sin City, disqualification hit the McLaren cars of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, delivering a hard blow to the team led by Andrea Stella and significantly affecting the ongoing championship battle.

With his victory on the Las Vegas Strip, Max Verstappen closed the gap and matched the points tally of the Australian driver, while also reducing the deficit to the British driver. The World Championship leader now sits at 390 points, with both of his closest rivals on 366. The next round in Qatar will therefore be decisive.

Moments after the ruling became official, Andrea Stella spoke to the media and outlined what he believes could be the reason behind the double McLaren disqualification:

“During the race, both cars experienced high levels of porpoising, which we had not seen during the free practice sessions, and this led to excessive contact with the ground,” he explained in a press release.

Andrea Stella added that he and his engineers are “investigating the causes of this behaviour, including the effect of accidental damage sustained by both cars, which we discovered after the race and which contributed to an increase in the movement of the floor.”

The Italian team principal also addressed his drivers, the fans, and the team’s commercial partners:

“We apologise to Lando and Oscar for the loss of points today, at such a critical point in their championship fight, after two excellent performances throughout the weekend. As a team, we also apologise to our partners and fans, whose support is so important to us.”

According to the FIA statement, both McLarens were disqualified due to excessive wear of the plank underneath the floor. The stewards described it as an involuntary error, but one that will inevitably weigh heavily in Lando Norris’ attempt to reclaim the championship lead — especially after he had emerged as the strong favourite in recent races.

What looked like a comfortable march toward the drivers’ title is now a full-blown fight. Qatar suddenly feels like the biggest weekend of Lando Norris’s career.