McLaren have revealed some of their attempts to avoid the excessive plank wear which caused their disqualifications from last weekend’s race were “counterproductive”.
Team principal Andrea Stella made the admission in a statement issued by the team four days after Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were stripped of their points-scoring finishes in the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Excessive plank assembly wear was found on the undersides of both MCL39s.
Stella said the team believed it had chosen a safe ride height level for the race based on the information it obtained during practice. Teams had limited dry-weather running at the track due to rain on Friday and red flags during Thursday’s second practice session.
“We do not believe we took excessive risks in terms of ride height and we also added a safety margin for qualifying and the race, compared to practice, in terms of clearance to the ground,” said Stella. “However, the safety margin was negated by the unexpected onset of the large vertical oscillations, which caused the car to touch the ground.”
In a question-and-answer document issued by the team, Stella said they experienced more severe porpoising than expected during the race. “We realised relatively soon that this level of porpoising was causing a high level of skid wear energy and this is the reason why both drivers started to take remedial actions in various parts of the circuit.”
However Stella admitted that telling the drivers to slow down at some points on the circuit had in fact made their problem worse. “The porpoising condition that the car developed in the race was also a difficult one to mitigate, as even a reduction in speed – an action that, in theory, should increase clearance to the ground – was only effective in some parts of the track but in others was actually counterproductive,” he said.
Norris appeared to point this out on lap 43 of the 50-lap race when he asked the team about his approach to turn 10. “Sometimes I lift more, it just feels worse,” he said. “Whatever you do in 10 doesn’t make much difference,” his race engineer Will Joseph replied. “It’s more 11 and 12. The next thing you can do is earlier into 17.” Norris was told to manage his speed in turns five, through turns 11 and 12 and in turn 17 for much of the race.
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Stella did not indicate how aware the drivers were of the extent of their problem. Formula One Management’s broadcast of the team’s radio messages to Lando Norris contained no direct references to concerns over plank wear. Norris slowed abruptly over the final laps of the race, following which his race engineer Will Joseph told him they were not concerned about their fuel levels.
He said the team had not risked disqualification by running its car lower to the ground to generate more downforce. “What happened in Vegas was due to an anomaly in the behaviour of the car, rather than it being the outcome of an excessive or unreasonable chase of performance,” he said.
Oscar Piastri’s car exhibited greater wear across its plank assembly than Norris’s. Stella revealed a failed sensor on his car made it harder for them to monitor the loads he was experiencing.
McLaren do not expect to encounter similar problems at this weekend’s race at the Losail International Circuit, said Stella.
“The conditions we experienced last weekend and which led to the onset of porpoising and excess of grounding, compared to what was expected, are very specific to the operating window of the car in Vegas and the circuit characteristics,” he said. “We have a well-established and consolidated way of setting up the car and we are confident that this will lead us to an optimal plan for the coming races, starting from the Losail International Circuit.”
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Q&A: Andrea Stella on McLaren Las Vegas Grand Prix disqualifications
Have you identified a specific cause for the excessive wear on the rear skid?
The specific cause that led to the situation was the unexpected occurrence of extensive porpoising, inducing large vertical oscillations of the car. The level of porpoising was exacerbated by the conditions in which the car operated during the race, and it was not anticipated based on what we had seen in practice and based on the predictions of the car operating window in the race.
Based on the data we had acquired in practice, we do not believe we took excessive risks in terms of ride height and we also added a safety margin for qualifying and the race, compared to practice, in terms of clearance to the ground. However, the safety margin was negated by the unexpected onset of the large vertical oscillations, which caused the car to touch the ground.
The porpoising condition that the car developed in the race was also a difficult one to mitigate, as even a reduction in speed – an action that, in theory, should increase clearance to the ground – was only effective in some parts of the track but in others was actually counterproductive.
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Did you notice anything during the race?
From the early laps of the race, it was clear from the data that the level of unexpected porpoising would be a concern. We were able to monitor the situation better on Lando’s car using telemetry data, but it was made more difficult on Oscar’s car, after we lost one of the sensors we use to establish the level of grounding. We realised relatively soon that this level of porpoising was causing a high level of skid wear energy and this is the reason why both drivers started to take remedial actions in various parts of the circuit. Unfortunately, we also saw that, because of the car operating window and the circuit characteristics, most of these actions were not effective enough in reducing porpoising.
Were you surprised by the stewards’ decision?
We verified together with the technical delegate, that the measurement of the skid thickness was correct. Even if the excessive wear is relatively minor and in only one* location, (as it was 0.12mm for Lando and 0.26mm for Oscar), the regulation is very clear that the rear skids need to be at least 9mm at the end of the race in every location. Unlike sporting or financial rules – there is no proportionality in the application of penalties for technical regulation infringements. The FIA itself has admitted that this lack of proportionality should be addressed in the future to ensure that minor and accidental technical infringements, with minimal or no performance benefits, do not lead to disproportionate consequences.
It should also be remembered that the FIA itself emphasised that the infringement was not intentional, there was no deliberate attempt to circumvent the regulations, and there were also mitigating circumstances, as we explained to the event Stewards.
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Do you think the same conditions could occur in Qatar?
The conditions we experienced last weekend and which led to the onset of porpoising and excess of grounding, compared to what was expected, are very specific to the operating window of the car in Vegas and the circuit characteristics. We have a well-established and consolidated way of setting up the car and we are confident that this will lead us to an optimal plan for the coming races, starting from the Losail International Circuit.
Nevertheless, we learn from every lesson and the one in Las Vegas has been able to provide some useful information about the operating window of the car and the porpoising regime.
Does it change the team’s approach to the way we chase performance?
What happened in Vegas was due to an anomaly in the behaviour of the car, rather than it being the outcome of an excessive or unreasonable chase of performance.
Our way of acting and thinking as a team, with a strong focus on performance, has brought us to where we are today, namely winning two consecutive constructors’ titles and having two drivers at the top of the championship with two races to go.
We, as a team, constantly learn from experience and we calibrate our approach all the time and we will certainly use any information gained through the situation experienced in Vegas.
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What is the spirit of the team after such a blow?
Walking around the factory this week, I was particularly impressed by how deep and strong the cultural foundation of the team was. The reaction has been entirely focussed on picking up the learning, dismissing any negativity, and making sure we come out stronger from this kind of situation. I was very glad to see how the Team has become a mature group of united and forward-thinking racers.
Episodes like this make you grow. They are painful, there is no point in hiding it, but pain is also part of our sport. There is no blame culture at McLaren, but rather a culture of constant progress and growth. I am sure that each and every one of us can’t wait for Friday afternoon in Qatar to arrive, so that we can give Lando and Oscar the best possible car, to enable them to be the only drivers capable of winning the world title.
With Verstappen just 24 points behind Lando, will anything change in the management of the drivers?
No, there is no reason to do so. We have always said that as long as the maths does not say otherwise, we would leave it up to the two drivers to fight for their chance at the final victory, and that is how it will be in Qatar.
Let’s not forget that if someone had told us at the start of the season that we would find ourselves in this situation with two races to go, we would have signed up for it! Now we are going to fight for the double world championship with confidence and awareness of our strength.
*According to documents issued by the stewards, Norris’s plank assembly was found to be beneath the 9mm minimum at the rear in two places: the right-hand side front was measured at 8.88mm and the right-hand side rear was 8.93mm. Piastri’s exceeded the 9mm limit in three places: left-hand side front 8.96mm, right-hand side front 8.74mm, right-hand side rear 8.90mm.
The stewards also noted: “The rear skids were re-measured in the presence of the stewards and the three McLaren representatives, and those measurements confirmed that the skids did not comply with the regulations. The relevant measurements were even lower than those measured originally by the technical delegate.”
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