McLaren’s promising Las Vegas Grand Prix collapsed in post-race scrutineering when both cars failed the skid-block wear check, leading to a double disqualification. The FIA stressed there was no intention to gain an unfair advantage, but the technical infringement left the stewards with no alternative.

The consequences for the championship are significant. With the McLaren duo losing all their points from Las Vegas, Max Verstappen has moved closer to the top of the standings. With two races and a sprint remaining, Verstappen sits 24 points behind leader Lando Norris and is now level on points with Oscar Piastri, turning the final leg of the season into a three-way showdown.

The team's boss Andrea Stella expressed his disappointment and explained why the issue did not appear during practice.

“During the race, both cars experienced an excessive level of contact with the ground that had not been observed in practice. We are investigating the causes of this behaviour, including the accidental damage that both cars suffered after the race and which caused an increase in ground movement.”

He emphasised that the team accepts responsibility but regrets the timing of the incident.

“As the FIA noted, the breach was inadvertent, there was no deliberate attempt to circumvent the regulations and there were mitigating circumstances. We apologise to Lando and Oscar for the loss of points today, at a critical time in their Championship fight and after two excellent performances throughout the weekend. As a team, we also apologise to our sponsors and fans, whose support is so important. While this result is extremely disappointing, we remain fully focused on the final two races of the season.”