Why Zak Brown considers the Las Vegas disqualification excessive, but is still taking responsibility, and how the team is dealing with the setback internally
McLaren CEO Zak Brown has voiced strong criticism of the regulations after Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were retrospectively disqualified in Las Vegas. The reason: the wooden planks on the underbody were slightly more worn than permitted – by a few hundredths of a millimeter in Norris’s case and slightly more in Piastri’s.
However, Brown emphasizes that McLaren was not seeking an illegal advantage. It was a small mistake with enormous consequences. Other teams have been removed from the standings for the same reason in recent years, but that is no consolation: “It remains a mistake – even if it was unintentional.”
According to Brown, the cause was not that the car was set too low. Instead, excessive wear was caused by severe “porpoising” – the aerodynamic bouncing of current cars. Rain on the practice days also prevented reliable setup data from being obtained. In the end, however, nine teams did their homework correctly.
Why even the FIA is critical of the penalty
Brown confirms that the world governing body itself recognizes the disproportionate nature of the penalty internally. In the case of a rule violation that has hardly any measurable impact on performance, immediate disqualification is extremely harsh. McLaren team boss Andrea Stella had already stated the day before that the FIA wanted to examine how such cases could be dealt with more fairly in the future.
Brown describes the deviation as “the thickness of a sheet of paper” and criticizes the harsh consequence. At the same time, he makes it clear that McLaren does not suspect a conspiracy. When asked whether the exclusion was intended to add extra excitement to the title race, Brown responds firmly that he does not want to entertain such speculation.
“We messed up,” he says openly to Sports Agent. “The rules may be tough, but they are the rules.” As a team, you can’t demand that others be punished – and expect exceptions for yourself.
Emotions, responsibility and a title race that is getting closer again
Immediately after the race, there was anger and frustration at McLaren. Brown himself admits to having been “very upset” – as was the entire team. It was only with a little distance that the situation calmed down. He deliberately left the drivers alone for two days before the review began.
Before the disqualification, Norris had a comfortable lead in the World Championship. The loss of his points significantly reduced his lead, and both Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri moved closer again. However, Brown refuses to make excuses or look for alibis: a season consists of 24 races, not just one.
In the end, one thing matters to the McLaren boss: “We have to abide by the same rules that we demand of other teams.” The penalty is excessive, he says, but the mistake lies with McLaren.