No ‘special checks’ against McLaren in F1 Las Vegas GP: plank and skid inspections are standard. The McLaren disqualifications in Las Vegas were not due to targeted checks.

Wurz’s ‘suspicions’

The double disqualification of McLaren at the conclusion of the Las Vegas GP on Sunday predictably sparked a wave of rumors, assumptions, and conspiracy theories. This is unsurprising given the impact on the championship standings: Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were removed from the results, while Max Verstappen claimed the victory. With two races remaining, Formula 1 has three drivers within 24 points, keeping the title fight more open than ever.

One figure who appeared to raise doubts about the speed with which the stewards penalized McLaren was former Austrian driver Alexander Wurz, a prominent GPDA member and analyst for Austrian public broadcaster ORF. “There were rumors that in Brazil several other teams had asked the FIA how some cars with such low ride heights could pass technical inspection without issues. Something was brewing. Considering how quickly the McLarens were measured after crossing the finish line, it’s very likely the FIA had been alerted by other teams,” Wurz said.

A routine check

In reality, however, there was nothing unusual about the inspections carried out on the two MCL39s after the Las Vegas race on the Strip. Plank and skid inspections are quite common for cars finishing in the top 10, which earn championship points. Naturally, it’s not feasible to check every car after every race for all parameters due to time constraints. This is why post-race scrutineering focuses primarily on the top-10 finishers.

To give context, considering only races after the summer break, plank and skid checks were performed after the races in Zandvoort, Monza, Baku, Singapore, Austin, and Interlagos. In all these events, at least one McLaren underwent floor inspections, with the only exception being Baku, where the cars checked were those of Leclerc, Verstappen, Russell, Lawson, and Sainz. The idea of a ‘targeted’ check against the Woking-based team simply does not hold.

Stricter FIA post-race inspections

An interesting point emerging from the paddock is the overall increase in post-race scrutiny by the FIA, despite inspection criteria remaining the same since the start of the season. This greater rigor has been implemented by the FIA’s new technical director, Jan Monachux, formerly of Sauber, in office since February 2024. This stricter approach has affected several teams, not only in Las Vegas but also with the disqualifications of Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton, and Pierre Gasly in China, and Nico Hulkenberg in Bahrain.

Bottom line: McLaren wasn’t singled out in Vegas. They simply fell victim to the same strict enforcement every frontrunning team now faces week in, week out.