Max Verstappen's quest for a fifth straight Formula 1 championship got a boost after Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were disqualified after Saturday's Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Verstappen's victory narrowed the point difference between him and Norris to just 42 with two races left. But, a few hours later, McLaren was called to the stewards for failing inspection.

The issue? The skid wear on the McLarens didn't meet the minimum thickness rules. This protective plank on the car's underside had worn too thin, a problem that also led to Lewis Hamilton's disqualification earlier in the year.

McLaren's Andrea Stella explained that the cars were bottoming out more than they had in earlier practices, causing extra ground contact. He noted the damage to both cars was accidental and that the FIA agreed there was no intent to break the rules, acknowledging the circumstances.

Stella apologised to Norris and Piastri for the lost points at such a key point in their championship hopes, after strong outings all weekend. He said that, while it was disappointing, the team is still focused on the last two races.

The disqualifications shook up the standings, stripping Norris and Piastri of all points earned in Las Vegas. Norris went from a 30-point lead over Piastri and 42 over Verstappen to just 24 points ahead of Verstappen, with Piastri holding second based on his number of wins.

Verstappen has won the last two races in Qatar, where F1 heads next, and four of the last five in Abu Dhabi, where the season ends on Dec. 7.

It's quite a comeback for the Dutchman, who seemed out of it earlier in the year. Even after winning in Las Vegas, Verstappen wasn't focused on the championship.

He said that while there's still a big gap, they maximise what they have. He aimed to win again. They will see where they stand at the end of Abu Dhabi.

Las Vegas marked Verstappen's second win in four races. The four-time reigning champ continues to push his way back into title contention, despite his dislike for the event.

Verstappen’s issue comes from the focus on celebrities and parties instead of the race. But he always performs when he gets in the car.

He said some fans like the show, and some like different tracks. He prefers some weekends over others and is not really a showman but understands it's part of the Vegas experience.

Las Vegas was Verstappen’s 69th career win. It was his eighth straight podium, an F1-record eighth win in the U.S., and he beat points leader Norris by over 20 seconds.

Verstappen started second, taking the lead when Norris went wide trying to cut in front at the start.

Norris admitted fault, saying he let Verstappen win by braking too late.

After the first turn, Norris was stuck in third, and Piastri dropped from fifth to seventh. The two McLaren drivers have been battling for the lead in the standings all season.

Before being disqualified, Norris finished second, and Russell was third. Russell now takes second.

Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes crossed the line fourth, but a penalty moved him to fifth, putting Piastri in fourth before he was disqualified. Antonelli is now third.

Piastri hasn't won since the Dutch Grand Prix in August and has just one podium finish in the seven races since. He seems to accept that his title hopes are fading.

Piastri said the first lap was wild, and he will try his best for the next two races to be ready. He said there's still a lot of laps left, and he'll try his best to capitalise if that happens.

Seven-time world champion Hamilton, the biggest mover of the race, qualified 20th after Ferrari's first last-place qualifying result since '09. He finished eighth.

Charles Leclerc was credited with fourth for Ferrari, as he and Hamilton both finished in the points after failing to finish in Brazil, which drew criticism from Ferrari's John Elkann.

Jenson Button and Bernie Collins have expressed their backing for Ferrari following the "confusion" that arose during Lewis Hamilton's last attempt in Q1 at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

The seven-time F1 champion decided to halt what might have been his final lap, mistakenly thinking he hadn't reached the timing line in time to commence a new lap, as indicated by the red lights on his dashboard.

This decision resulted in him finishing in P20, last on the grid, after clocking the slowest time in the rain-drenched first qualifying session in Las Vegas.

For the first time in his F1 career, Hamilton will line up at the back due to his pace, having prematurely exited from a crucial final chance.

It quickly became clear that he had erred amid the chaos and poor conditions, but given that he had faced a yellow flag shortly before and had briefly contacted a bollard with his SF-25, he believed it wouldn't have significantly altered his performance.

Button, who was once Hamilton's teammate at McLaren, stressed the importance of continuing to push until advised to do otherwise, which the 105-time race winner failed to do.

"Continue until you're told to slow down," the 2009 F1 champion stated on Sky Sports F1.

"You should be aware of all the rules. It can be very challenging for a driver, especially when red lights appear in front of you, giving the impression that it's finished.

"However, the timing line is before that point, and he should know this since his dashboard displays the time for the previous lap.

"In such difficult conditions, with so many distractions, he may have been relieved that it seemed over, but he lost sight of what he needed to do for his next lap."

Was Hamilton to blame?

When it was mentioned that the Ferrari pit wall would have been aware of the tight situation, Button responded, "But they can't assume he understands that the timing line differs from the red light gantry," clarifying that the timing line and start/finish line are located at different spots.

Collins defended Riccardo Adami, Hamilton's race engineer, pointing out that he made efforts to ensure his driver did not lift off the throttle.

"I just wanted to add to that a bit. I was trying to catch it during the commentary, and I listened again when Lewis went out, as it was evident from the radio that there was some confusion regarding the light," Collins mentioned.

"On the lap prior, the one where he was approaching the line, the pit wall informed him that it would be closed for one more lap, urging him to keep pushing for another attempt.
This serves as a clear signal to a driver: first, that you’re not in a safe position if they urge you to push for another lap; secondly, that it's close to the limit, but they believe it's feasible, or they wouldn't suggest it.

"He received that message earlier in the lab. Then, as he approaches the line, Lewis inquires, "Am, am I secure?"

"His engineer responds, saying, 'No, keep up the pace.'" Lewis then says, 'I say, "I see the light, light; I see the red light."' The engineer reiterates, 'No, keep going.' reiterates, 'No,''

"However, by that moment, it’s already too late. He had initially been informed—though I didn’t review everything—prior to reaching the line that it would be tight and he needed to maintain his speed.

"When he saw the red light, he thought perhaps Ferrari miscalculated the timing, or he hadn’t completed the lap in time, or other factors played into it, as Jenson pointed out.

"He believed he hadn’t made it. He immediately eased off the throttle. At that point, it’s too late; once a driver slows down, there's no use in advising them to accelerate again, because the chance to complete the lap has already slipped away. All these elements contributed to what happened. Still, I'd argue that the Ferrari pit crew had provided the necessary information.

In response to accusations of favouritism toward Hamilton, with former Aston Martin race strategist Collin supporting the team, the 15-time Grand Prix champion replied, "No."

He continued: "It's a complex situation. He’s not the first to have made such a mistake.

"But indeed, the timing line differs from the finish line. That’s something you should be aware of since the time displays on your dashboard. We are all made aware of our lap times as we cross that line. "