DOHA :Contrary to popular lore, what happens in Las Vegas most definitely does not stay in Vegas as far as Formula One is concerned.
The aftershock of Sunday’s double disqualification in Nevada hangs over champions McLaren ahead of a sprint weekend in Qatar that could hand Lando Norris his first Formula One crown – or erode his lead.
The Briton is 24 points clear of Australian teammate Oscar Piastri and Red Bull’s reigning champion Max Verstappen with two rounds remaining – a total of 58 points to be won and all to play for.
After Sunday, there will be just 25 on offer.
Norris and Piastri finished second and fourth respectively in Las Vegas but, due to the under-car plank and rear skids wearing too thin, lost their points in a development that blew the title battle wide open.
WILL MCLAREN’S PERFORMANCE BE AFFECTED?
“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 boss Andrea Stella explained on 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 to the ground the car rides and the faster it goes.
The open and unanswered question, as the circus prepares for the second part of a final triple header, is how much McLaren’s performance might now be affected over the season-ending weekends in the Middle East.
Rivals, and particularly Red Bull who have Verstappen chasing a fifth title in a row after winning in Las Vegas, will be keeping a very close eye on developments.
Qatar and Abu Dhabi should play to McLaren’s strengths – Piastri won last year’s sprint while Norris set the fastest race lap – but will they have to play safe and run a higher setting than usual, giving away some aerodynamic advantage?
Verstappen also has a great record in Qatar as the only driver to win twice there, the Dutchman clinching his third title in 2023 after the Saturday sprint, which was also won by Piastri.
He won last year, with Norris demoted from second to 10th after collecting a 10 second stop/go penalty for speeding during yellow warning flags.
“Just trying to enjoy, have a good time, and when you can win, you try to win,” Verstappen said of his approach after Sunday’s success.
George Russell put Mercedes on pole at the Lusail circuit last year, after Verstappen was demoted one place for driving unnecessarily slowly, and will be one to watch along with teammate Kimi Antonelli.
Mercedes are solidly second in the constructors’ championship, 40 points clear of Red Bull and 53 ahead of Ferrari, but nothing is certain.
“We have the added challenge of the sprint format this weekend and an imposed usage limit on the tyres too,” said principal Toto Wolff.
“Making a solid start in FP1 (practice), 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 tyres for Sunday’s race, following analysis of wear from 2024 and after similar limits in 2023.
That will mean at least two pitstops per driver and also produce a faster pace – which could subject the plank to more punishment and reduce the need for tyre management, another McLaren strength.
McLaren also have two drivers to manage while Verstappen is his team’s sole focus, will get priority in pitstops and – when it comes to championships – has been there before and will be laser focused.
