P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Theory ties McLaren’s Las Vegas DSQ to decision to replace Daniel Ricciardo
Former F1 team manager Peter Windsor believes McLaren’s double disqualification at the Las Vegas Grand Prix can be attributed to their decision to replace Daniel Ricciardo. Ricciardo, who had a poor second season at McLaren, was replaced by Oscar Piastri for the 2023 F1 season. Piastri struggled to adapt to McLaren’s F1 cars’ unique handling characteristics, being overshadowed by teammate Lando Norris. Despite Norris consistently outperforming Piastri, the latter provided a significant improvement in his first season. In 2024, Norris continued to lead, although Piastri managed to secure a couple of victories. The 2025 season began with McLaren having a dominant car favoring Piastri, propelling him towards the championship lead. Windsor suggested that McLaren’s aggressive car setups, influenced by the internal rivalry between Norris and Piastri, led to the disqualifications in Las Vegas. Windsor further argued that McLaren should have maintained the successful Ricciardo-Norris pairing for a better shot at the title.
