Despite the famous saying, what happens in Las Vegas certainly doesn’t stay there – at least not in Formula One.
The fallout from Sunday’s double disqualification in Nevada shadows McLaren as the team heads into a sprint weekend in Qatar, one that could either deliver Lando Norris his first world title or tighten the chase.
Norris enters the round with a 24-point advantage over teammate Oscar Piastri and Red Bull’s defending champion Max Verstappen.
With two races left and 58 points still available, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
By Sunday night, only 25 points will remain on the table.
Norris and Piastri finished second and fourth, respectively, in Las Vegas but lost their points after the under-car plank and rear skids wore too thin. The development blew the title battle wide open.
“During the race, both cars experienced unexpected, high levels of porpoising (bouncing) not seen in the practice sessions, which led to excessive contact with the ground,” team principal Andrea Stella said Sunday night.
“The breach was unintentional. There was no deliberate attempt to circumvent the regulations, and mitigating circumstances also existed.”
The thinner the plank, the closer the car rides to the ground – and the faster it goes.
The open question as the paddock prepares for the second leg of the final tripleheader is how much McLaren’s performance might now be affected over the season-ending weekends in the Middle East.
Rivals – particularly Red Bull, with Verstappen chasing a fifth straight title after winning in Las Vegas – will be watching closely.
Qatar and Abu Dhabi should play to McLaren’s strengths.
Piastri won last year’s sprint, while Norris set the fastest race lap. But the team may be forced to run a higher ride height than usual, giving away some aerodynamic advantage.
Verstappen also has a strong record in Qatar, as the only driver to win twice there. He clinched his third title in 2023 after the Saturday sprint, which Piastri won.
He also won last year’s race, with Norris demoted from second to 10th after receiving a 10-second stop-go penalty for speeding under yellow flags.
“Just trying to enjoy, have a good time, and when you can win, you try to win,” Verstappen said after Sunday’s victory.
George Russell put Mercedes on pole at Lusail last year after Verstappen was penalized one place for driving unnecessarily slowly. Russell will be one to watch again, along with teammate Kimi Antonelli.
Mercedes sit solidly second in the constructors’ championship, 40 points clear of Red Bull and 53 ahead of Ferrari, but nothing is guaranteed.
“We have the added challenge of the sprint format this weekend, and an imposed usage limit on the tires too,” team principal Toto Wolff said. “Making a solid start in FP1, and having a good base to build from, will be key. We expect our competitors to be quick; warm conditions and high-speed corners haven’t been our strength this year.”
Pirelli has imposed a maximum of 25 laps per set of tires for Sunday’s race, following analysis of wear from 2024 and similar limits introduced in 2023.
That will mean at least two pit stops per driver and a faster pace – which could subject the plank to more punishment and reduce the need for tire management, typically a McLaren strength.
McLaren also have two drivers in the title fight, while Verstappen is Red Bull’s sole focus, will get priority in pit stops and – when it comes to championships – has been there before and will be laser-focused.
