McLaren under the microscope in Qatar – The FIA has announced that McLaren will be ‘closely monitored’ at this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix, after facing accusations of ‘cheating’ by some inside and outside the paddock. This comes after last weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix turned into a nightmare for the 2025 Constructors’ Champions.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who had finished second and fourth respectively, were disqualified after post-race inspections revealed excessive wear to the skid blocks on their cars. Stewards determined that the thickness of the planks under both McLarens was less than the required minimum of 9 mm at the end of the race. In other words, their cars had been riding a little too low.

McLaren deceived their drivers during Las Vegas Grand Prix

 

Vegas Disqualifications Shake Up the Title Race

The fallout in Las Vegas was immediate and dramatic. Norris lost 18 crucial points for his runner-up finish, while Piastri forfeited 12. With all three drivers locked in a tense championship battle, the timing could not have been worse. Verstappen is now tied with Piastri for second place, 24 points behind Norris. This has turned what had looked like a straightforward path to the title for the British driver into a nail-biting three-way fight.

McLaren quickly issued a statement from team principal Andrea Stella apologising to both drivers:

“We apologise to Lando and Oscar for the loss of points today, at a critical time in their championship campaigns, following their strong performances throughout the weekend. As a team, we also apologise to our partners and fans, whose support means so much. While this outcome is extremely disappointing, we remain fully focused on the last two races of the season.”

The official explanation for the skid block wear was ‘unexpected porpoising’, that charming phenomenon where a car bounces on the track, wearing away at the underbody. However, fans and rivals alike were not entirely convinced that bouncing alone could explain such dramatic wear.

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Why McLaren Are Being Watched

Heading into Qatar, the FIA is leaving nothing to chance. McLaren, along with a few unnamed rival teams, is under increased scrutiny after claims that some teams may have been using skid blocks that expand when heated, an illegal advantage. The issue first surfaced at the Brazilian Grand Prix and has been monitored ever since.

The Lusail International Circuit, which is hosting the Qatar Grand Prix, is notorious for its abrasive asphalt and high-speed corners. The scorching conditions will push car ride heights and skid blocks to their limits, creating the perfect conditions for another potential breach of the rules. Stewards will be watching closely, knowing that even the slightest deviation could give a team a significant advantage when championship points are at stake.

FIA recent rule change irritates Ferrari

 

The Fine Line Between Legal and Illegal

In Formula 1, where margins are measured in millimetres, excessive skid block wear results in an illegally low ride height and potentially a significant speed advantage. McLaren’s disqualification in Las Vegas was by such a slim margin that it would have been invisible to the naked eye. With Norris potentially able to seal the world championship this weekend, the stakes are higher than ever.

The team is under pressure not just from the FIA, but also from the wider paddock, which will be watching closely for any hint of bending the rules. Whether or not McLaren can avoid another penalty in Qatar may determine the outcome of the 2025 title. In the world of Formula 1, where bouncing cars and millimetres matter more than most people’s lunch plans, every detail counts.

Marko mocks McLaren over Las Vegas

 

NEXT ARTICLE – Marko reveals Red Bull’s 2026 “big advantage”

With a crucial race weekend coming up in Qatar, the Red Bull and McLaren Formula One race teams are fully focused on a championship battle royal as Max Verstappen attempts themes audacious come back in F1 history.

Yet back at base the rest of the teams are now fully focused on the huge technical regulation changes coming in 2026. By now the power trains are mostly locked in as is much of the chases design as in just nine weeks time the new breed of F1 cars will take to the track in Barcelona.

There’s been big amount of paddock chatter as to who is in the best shape to take on F1’s new era, with the Mercedes self promotion PR team in full flow. The Brackley based team aced the previous big engine rules change in 2014, mostly due to an unlimited budget granted by Stuttgart together with their engineers finding the best solution to the MGU-H heat recovery systems which others failed to master.

 

Much has changed since F1 2014

Yet much has changed in the past twelve seasons, the power unit manufacturers are now restricted on how much they can spend in their research and development for the new powertrains. Bench testing along with other resource restrictions are also in place, so no one manufacturer can blitz their designs with unlimited amounts of cash and time.

Renault have decided their engine department in Viry-Chatillon is not up to the task and closed its F1 production capabilities. Audi are joining the party and the German brand has experienced dominant success in other top flight racing categories.

Having lost years of competing at the front whilst running an underfunded and underpowered Renault V6 hybrid, Red Bull finally found success in their partnership with Honda. Yet the Japanese manufacturer initially decided they were pulling out of F1 almost five yers ago, so Red Bull elected to do the unthinkable.

Honda did change their mind and offered to remain the works supplier of power units to the Red Bull owned teams, but by then the decision had been made that Milton Keynes would take their destiny into their own hands…READ MORE