Last Updated on November 24 2025, 8:33 pm
Anyone who went to bed sensibly after the Las Vegas Grand Prix probably woke up to find that their car had been clamped overnight. Just two hours after the chequered flag, McLaren had been disqualified.
While fans rubbed their eyes and refreshed their social media feeds, Viaplay — the Swedish-owned streaming service available in the Netherlands — had their analysts dissecting the drama. The main question on their lips was: ‘Did McLaren already know the car was too low even before the race began?’
According to on-board messages and whispers from the engineers, the answer appears to be ‘yes, they knew’.
A warning on the formation lap
As Viaplay reviewed the footage, Lando Norris’s formation-lap radio revealed an incriminating story that was not broadcast on the main TV feed. His engineer warned him not to take Turn 14 flat-out. Turn 14 is one of those high-speed corners where the downforce pulls the car into the ground as though it were drilling for oil. If your floor plank is even slightly vulnerable, it will come out of that corner looking as though it has been sanded down.
According to engineer Ernest Knoors, this was McLaren’s first experience of using data with a full tank. Apparently, that taste came with a side order of panic.
“At high speed, the plank hits the ground,” Knoors explained. “Then it wears down a lot. So they already knew during the formation lap that it was going to be critical.”
The plank: More Important Than You Think
Most fans are aware that the FIA’s beloved wooden plank (technically a laminated composite, not wood) is used to measure ride height. What they may not know is that it is only permitted to wear by one millimetre. Just one. McLaren’s? Worn down by ‘0.12 mm too much’.
That’s thinner than your average debit card, Knoors helpfully demonstrated this by dramatically producing his own card in the studio, much like Holmes theatrically declaring how a murder occurred before a gathered audience.
Some wondered whether such a tiny amount should really warrant full disqualification. Analyst Dontje was quick to explain why it should: “You lower the car, you drive faster. That makes a difference per lap.” Tom Coronel, the veteran Dutch GT and touring car racer, added his now-immortal motto: “If you don’t go low, you go slow. Remember that quote.”
It’s safe to assume McLaren remembered it a bit too enthusiastically.
Risk Management: McLaren Edition
The chaotic practice sessions left teams scrambling for data, but none appeared to gamble as boldly as McLaren. The team later argued that they could not gather enough information beforehand. Nevertheless, they certainly had enough to start worrying. Throughout the race, Norris’s onboard radios were filled with gentle, then not-so-gentle nudges to ‘manage’ unspecified issues.
Initially, these were assumed to be fuel-related, teams must finish with at least a litre of fuel so that the FIA can take a sample. However, when the FIA started measuring the plank instead of the fuel, the truth came to light: Norris wasn’t managing fuel. He was managing friction.
Knoors elaborated, explaining that sensors under the floor measure temperature and that, if they spike, the floor is scratching the asphalt like a matchstick. And Norris’s floor? Practically glowing.
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Attack Russell! (…but also don’t wear out the floor)
This is where things got strange, even by F1 standards. Despite knowing the plank was already flirting with catastrophe, McLaren still encouraged Norris to attack George Russell at one point.
Dontje voiced what everyone was thinking: “Why go for the win when the floor is disappearing faster than Verstappen’s lead earlier this season?”
Ridiculous? Yes. Peak McLaren? Also yes.
In the second half of the race, the car became lighter as the fuel burned off, briefly tempting McLaren into believing that Norris could push harder. But with ten laps left, reality set in and the pushing stopped. Unfortunately, by then it didn’t matter.
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Stella’s Silent Panic
After the race, journalists prepared for their routine discussion with team principal Andrea Stella, only for the session to be abruptly postponed. Clearly, something was amiss. Viaplay presenter Chiel van Koldenhoven noted that Stella had been whisked away before he could speak to Spanish TV. Moments later, FIA chief Nikolas Tombazis was seen leaving the McLaren garage.
When the man who literally governs the rulebook leaves your garage looking grim, you know the situation is not ideal.
Stella’s expression reportedly “said it all”. For want of a better word, the disqualification was a ‘slam dunk’, as TJ13 declared on X soon after the race finished. McLaren apparently tried to argue some mitigating circumstances to the race stewards. Their claims included:
1) Not enough practice data
2) Unexpected porpoising
3) A risky but unavoidable setup choice.
The FIA’s response: “That’s nice. You’re still disqualified.”
As Dontje dryly summarised: “There was no way out. It was just over.” Coronel shook his head so vigorously that you could practically hear the disbelief rattling around inside him.
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Pressure, Red Bull and the championship chase
Knoors believes that this whole saga proves just how under pressure McLaren are.
“The fact that Red Bull has made that turnaround with Max indicates that McLaren is pushing the limits.” Quite literally, as it turned out.
Dontje added a final ironic twist: “I don’t understand why they even tried it. Lando didn’t need any more wins until the end of the year.”
However, following the disqualification, Verstappen is now only ’24 points behind’. Suddenly, Lando Norris, who began the weekend needing nothing, now needs ‘everything’.
Ultimately, McLaren took a huge risk, gained no reward, and left Las Vegas with a thinner standing and an even tighter championship fight. Not good for the team from Woking and even worse for Lando Norris. But for us Formula 1 fans, this championship just gets better and better.
NEXT ARTICLE: McLaren admit Verstappen ‘out psyched’ Norris in Vegas
The third running of the las Vegas Grand Prix was an extraordinary weekend. Charles Leclerc briefly raised Ferrari\s hopes by being quickest in FP1 whilst Yuki Tsunoda was third behind Alex Albon but a tenth quicker than his world champion team mate.
Red Flags in effect cancelled the last twenty minutes of the FP2 session, meaning the teams lost valuable data being unable to complete long run race simulations.
Come Saturday morning the rain was ever present and the session was run mostly with cars on the intermediate Pirelli tyres. At the start of qualifying, the rain had intensified and those who opted for the intermediates were quickly recalled to fit the full rain blue sided Pirelli P1.
McLaren manage Norris to perfection in qualifying
McLaren managed Lando Norris track position to perfection, as he was one of the last cars to start the final flying lap. Verstappen was almost three quarters of the circuit ahead of his championship rival and failed to benefit from the rapidly drying track.
Come the race, the rain had disappeared, but the coldest track temperatures of the season meant the drivers had to prepare for the start of the race with different procedures than usual. As the complete the formation lap and approach the grid, each driver usually performs 2-3 burn outs – where they spin up the wheels in an attempt to add temperature into the surface of the tyre.
In Sin City, so cold was the asphalt that drivers were performing five burnouts as they approach their grid positions. Lando Norris appeared distracted by the fact that Max Verstappen behind him was a long way back and he failed to follow the five buyout instructions, doing just the regular three…READ MORE
A senior writer at TJ13, C.J. Alderson serves as Senior Editor and newsroom coordinator, with a background in online sports reporting and motorsport magazine editing. Alderson’s professional training in media studies and experience managing content teams ensures TJ13 maintains consistency of voice and credibility. During race weekends, Alderson acts as desk lead, directing contributors and smoothing breaking stories for publication.
