McLaren Investigates Vegas Disqualification, FIA Considers Penalty Reform
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has revealed the FIA is considering changes to penalty structures following the team’s double disqualification from the Las Vegas Grand Prix.Both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were removed from the race results after their cars were found to have skid blocks below the mandated 9mm thickness.
The technical infringement, governed by strict regulations, left McLaren with no avenue for appeal. However, stella indicated the FIA is now exploring a more nuanced approach to penalties, potentially scaling punishments based on the severity of the breach and any performance advantage gained.
“We verified with the technical delegate that the skid thickness measurements were accurate,” Stella explained. “Despite the wear being minimal – 0.12mm for Lando and 0.26mm for Oscar – the regulations are clear: rear skids must be at least 9mm thick at the race’s conclusion, in all locations.”
Stella highlighted a key difference in how technical rules are enforced compared to sporting or financial regulations. “Unlike those areas,there’s currently no proportionality in applying penalties for technical infringements.”
The FIA has acknowledged this lack of proportionality, Stella stated, and is looking to address it. The goal is to prevent minor,unintentional technical issues with negligible performance benefits from resulting in disproportionately severe consequences. The FIA also confirmed the infringement was not intentional, with no purposeful attempt to circumvent regulations, and acknowledged mitigating circumstances which were presented to the event stewards.
Despite the setback,which has seen Max Verstappen close the gap in the drivers’ championship to 24 points with two races remaining,Stella firmly asserted that the disqualification wasn’t a consequence of aggressively pursuing performance to counter Verstappen’s recent gains.
“What happened in Vegas was due to an anomaly in the car’s behavior, not an excessive or unreasonable chase of performance,” Stella emphasized. “Our performance-focused approach has delivered two consecutive constructors’ championships and placed both our drivers at the championship’s forefront with two races to go. We constantly learn and adapt, and we will certainly leverage the insights gained from the Vegas experience.”
