McLaren admitted they were worried about porpoising from the opening laps of the Las Vegas Grand Prix — the same issue that ultimately caused both their cars to be disqualified.
Skid-Wear Issue Emerges
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri lost their second and fourth-place finishes after the skid blocks on their cars were found to be worn beyond the legal limit. Team principal Andrea Stella said the outfit had added a safety margin to avoid such problems and did not believe they took excessive risks with ride height.
Early Signs of Trouble
Stella revealed that the team noticed unexpected porpoising — the car bouncing violently as the floor stalls and regains downforce — almost immediately. “It was clear from the data,” he said, adding that the oscillations created unusually high skid-wear.
Drivers Take Remedial Action
Both drivers were asked to use lift-and-coast techniques to reduce load at the end of straights. However, McLaren found the measures ineffective, largely due to the car’s operating window and track characteristics in Vegas.
Why Porpoising Matters
In modern F1 cars, porpoising is triggered when airflow under the car becomes disrupted, causing the floor to stall and the car to rise before being sucked back down. This repeated cycle — often several times a second — increases grounding and, in this case, accelerated skid wear.
Minor Wear, Major Penalty
Stella stressed the excess wear was “relatively minor”:
• Norris’ car had two illegal skids by 0.12mm and 0.07mm.
• Piastri’s had three out-of-limit skids measuring 0.04mm, 0.26mm and 0.1mm.
He added that technical infringements lack proportional penalties, with minor accidental breaches resulting in severe outcomes.
No Repeat Expected in Qatar
McLaren believe the Vegas-specific conditions caused the anomaly and are confident the issue will not recur at the Qatar Grand Prix. Stella said the team’s established setup process should return them to a stable operating window at Lusail.
Title Fight Stays Open
Despite the tight championship situation, McLaren will not impose team orders. Norris leads Piastri and Max Verstappen by 24 points with two rounds left. Stella said both McLaren drivers will continue to race freely as long as each remains mathematically in contention.
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