McLaren Reveals Details of Las Vegas DSQ, Porpoising Insights
LAS VEGAS, NV – November 20, 2023 - McLaren Racing has detailed the factors contributing to Oscar Piastri‘s disqualification from the Las Vegas Grand Prix adn provided further insight into the team’s struggles with porpoising at the challenging street circuit. Team Principal Andrea Stella revealed that unexpected vertical oscillations led to excessive plank wear, despite measures taken to increase ride height and maintain a safety margin.
The disqualification stemmed from a technical infringement related to the car’s floor, specifically excessive wear on the skid plank – the protective layer beneath the car. While all top-ten cars underwent checks, McLaren was the only team to fall foul of the regulations. Stella explained the team had not taken “excessive risks in terms of ride height” and even added a safety margin for qualifying and the race compared to practice runs.
“We also added a safety margin for qualifying and the race, compared to practice, in terms of clearance to the ground,” Stella said. “Though, the safety margin was negated by the unexpected onset of the large vertical oscillations, wich caused the car to touch the ground.”
The team believes the issue was specific to the “operating window of the car in Vegas and the circuit characteristics,” and does not anticipate a repeat at the upcoming Qatar Grand Prix, which features a significantly different track layout. However,Stella emphasized the incident yielded “some useful data about the operating window of the car and the porpoising regime.”
Interestingly,Stella noted that simply reducing speed wasn’t a universal solution to the porpoising. “Reducing the speed ‘was only effective in some parts of the track but in others was actually counterproductive’,” he stated. The underlying cause of the porpoising and why McLaren was uniquely affected remains “still uncertain.”
The porpoising phenomenon resurfaced in 2022 with the introduction of the current Formula 1 regulations, which prioritize running cars at low ride heights for aerodynamic efficiency. Street tracks like Las Vegas, with their bumpier surfaces, present a greater challenge to plank wear.
Looking ahead to Qatar, McLaren aims to secure the drivers’ championship for Lando Norris, who currently leads the standings. Despite Oscar Piastri remaining mathematically in contention, and questions arising about potential team orders, Stella affirmed the team will continue to allow both drivers to compete freely.
“There is no reason to do so,” Stella said. “We have always said that provided that the maths does not say or else, we would leave it up to the two drivers to fight for their chance at the final victory, and that is how it will be in Qatar.”
