McLaren disqualification, Andrea Stella apologizes to Norris and Piastri

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella tried to give an explanation after the disqualification imposed on the Papaya team at the end of the Las Vegas Grand Prix. “After the Las Vegas Grand Prix, we were found to be in violation of Article 3.5.9 of the Technical Regulations, which requires a minimum skid thickness of 9 mm – he began -. The No. 4 car was found to be out of compliance with a maximum irregularity of 0.12 mm in the rear skid, while the No. 81 car recorded a maximum deviation of 0.26 mm at the same point”.

“During the race, both single-seaters suffered unexpected and very high levels of porpoising, not found in the practice sessions, which resulted in excessive contact with the asphalt– explained the Italian engineer’We are investigating the causes of this behavior, including the effect of accidental damage suffered by both cars– damage identified after the race– which resulted in increased bottom movement”.

“As noted by the FIA, the violation was unintentional – added the British team executive -: there was no deliberate attempt to circumvent the rules, and mitigating circumstances were also recognized”.

Closing with an apology for Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri: “We apologize to Lando and Oscar for the loss of points at a crucial time in their championship struggles, especially after the solid performances they delivered all weekend. As a team, we also apologize to our partners and fans, whose support for us is crucial.Although this outcome is extremely disappointing, we remain fully focused on the last two races of the season”.