The team principal: “If someone had told us at the start of the season that we’d be in this situation with two Grand Prix races to go, we would have signed up for it”

Although Verstappen’s shadow has grown even more menacing following the double disqualification in Las Vegas, there will be no team orders at McLaren to favor Lando Norris. This was emphasized by team principal Andrea Stella, who confirmed that the British driver and Oscar Piastri will be free to fight for the title until the end of the championship: “There is no reason to change anything in how we manage the drivers. We’ve always said we’ll let both drivers fight for the title as long as the math allows it. That’s how it will be in Qatar. It’s worth remembering that if someone had told us at the start of the season that we’d find ourselves in this situation with two Grand Prix races to go, we’d have signed up for it! Now we’re preparing to fight for the double World Championship title with confidence and belief in our abilities.” So Norris, who could clinch the World Championship as early as Lusail, won’t be able to count on Piastri’s help. Piastri is currently second in the standings, 24 points behind his teammate and tied on points with Verstappen.

Stella also revisited the double disqualification in Las Vegas, analyzing the technical issues that caused it: “The specific cause that led to the disqualification was the unexpected onset of severe porpoising (a vertical bouncing or hopping of the car generated by ground-effect aerodynamics characteristic of current-generation single-seaters, ed.), which caused significant vertical oscillations of the car. The level of porpoising was exacerbated by the conditions in which the car raced during the GP. This had not been anticipated given what we had observed in practice and the projections for the car’s operating window during the race. Based on the data collected in free practice, we believe we did not take excessive risks in terms of ride height. We also added a safety margin for qualifying and the race compared to practice. However, this margin was negated by the sudden onset of severe vertical oscillations, which caused the car to touch the ground.” The Woking-based team’s principal highlighted the soundness of the FIA’s decision, despite the violation being minimal: “We confirmed with the technical delegate that the measurement of the skid plate thickness was correct. Even though the excessive wear is minimal and present at only one point (0.12 mm for Lando and 0.26 mm for Oscar), the regulation is very clear: the rear skids must be at least 9 mm at the end of the race at every point. Unlike what happens with sporting or financial regulations, there is no proportionality in the application of penalties for technical regulation violations.” In any case, as Stella noted, the Federation emphasized McLaren’s good faith, specifying that there was no deliberate attempt to circumvent the regulations.

THE REACTION—  A double disqualification at such a crucial point in the year is a tough pill to swallow, but Andrea Stella said he was satisfied with what he saw at the factory following the events of the night in Las Vegas: “Walking through the factory this week, I was particularly struck by how deep and solid the team’s cultural foundation is. The reaction was entirely focused on absorbing what needed to be learned, eliminating all negativity, and ensuring we emerge stronger from situations like this. I was very pleased to see how the team has become a mature group of united racers looking toward the future. Episodes like this help us grow. They’re painful—there’s no point in denying it—but pain is also part of our sport. At McLaren, there is no culture of blame, but one of constant progress and growth. I’m sure every one of us is looking forward to Friday afternoon in Qatar, so we can give Lando and Oscar the best car possible, allowing them to be the only drivers capable of winning the World Championship.”