In a stunning overnight development, the top two drivers in the 2025 Formula 1 points standings were disqualified from Saturday'sLas Vegas Grand Prix.
McLaren teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were stripped of their places in the standings and the accompanying points when stewards determined five hours after the finish of the Saturday, Nov. 22 race that they both had excessive skid plank wear.
Norris,who finished second to winner Max Verstappen, had his lead in the overall standings cut to 24 points, while Piastri, who came in fourth, is now tied with Verstappen with only two races remaining in the 2025 season.
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"It's frustrating to lose so many points," Norris said in a team statement.
"As a team, we're always pushing to find as much performance as we can, and we clearly didn't get that balance right today. Nothing I can do will change that now, instead full focus switches to Qatar, where we'll aim to go out and deliver the best possible performance in every session."
Verstappen has now won four of the seven races since the circuit returned from its summer break, turning what looked like Norris' cruise to a season-long title into a potentially nail-biting finish.
Contributing: Reuters
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:McLaren's Norris, Piastri DQ'd at Las Vegas GP for failed inspection