McLaren chiefs make grovelling apology to Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri after double-disqualification

Team principal Andrea Stella acknowledged the severity of the situation, stating: "We apologise to Lando and Oscar for the loss of points today, at a critical time in their championship campaigns after two strong performances from them all weekend."

The British squad also extended apologies to its commercial partners and supporters, recognising the disappointment caused by the regulatory breach at such a pivotal moment in the season.

Both McLaren cars failed mandatory technical inspections after Sunday's race, with measurements revealing insufficient skid plank thickness.

Norris's vehicle fell short by 0.12mm whilst Piastri's exceeded the breach by 0.26mm, below the mandated 9mm minimum requirement.

The exclusions transformed the championship landscape dramatically. Norris had crossed the line in second position, with Piastri securing fourth place, but their removal from the classification eliminated all points earned.

This development has brought defending champion Max Verstappen squarely back into title contention. The Dutchman has drawn level with Piastri on points, sitting just 24 behind Norris as the season approaches its climax in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

McLaren's investigation revealed that severe porpoising during the race caused the regulatory infringement.

Stella explained that both vehicles encountered "unexpected, high levels of porpoising not seen in the practice sessions, which led to excessive contact with the ground."

The team discovered post-race damage to both cars that increased floor movement, contributing to the excessive wear.

McLaren emphasised the unintentional nature of the breach, with Stella noting: "As the FIA noted, the breach was unintentional, there was no deliberate attempt to circumvent the regulations, and mitigating circumstances also existed."

The team continues investigating why the cars behaved differently during the race compared to practice sessions.

Both drivers acknowledged their disappointment whilst maintaining focus on the remaining races.

Norris expressed his frustration, saying: "It's frustrating to lose so many points. As a team, we're always pushing to find as much performance as we can, and we clearly didn't get that balance right today."

The Briton emphasised his determination to move forward: "Nothing I can do will change that now, instead full focus switches to Qatar, where we'll aim to go out and deliver the best possible performance in every session."

Piastri echoed similar sentiments: "With how close the grid is, we're always looking at where we can gain performance, and we didn't get it right this time.

"We now need to reset, refocus and push to get the best points possible in the final two rounds, both tracks that we've been strong at previously."