Ex-Ferrari driver labels McLaren Vegas mistake a ‘Gift to motorsport fans'

12:24, 26 Nov

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bySamson Ero

Jean Alesi has described McLaren’s disqualification from the Las Vegas Grand Prix as a “gift” to motorsport fans.

“A sensational blunder at this stage of the World Championship. But it's also a gift to all motorsport fans.”

- Jean Alesi

The former Scuderia Ferrari driver, in his assessment of the Grand Prix in his Corriere della Sera column, described the plank wear incident as an honest mistake by the McLaren team, highlighting the weather’s role in the setup misjudgement.

“McLaren made an honest mistake. The fact that they weren't able to test properly due to the weather conditions really prevented us from setting up the car properly,” he wrote.

Looking ahead, the 61-year-old stressed that the disqualification has inadvertently created an exciting championship scenario for fans.

Lando Norris, alongside McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, was disqualified from the Las Vegas GP - Photo: RacePictures.

“The error in the setup led to the fatal wear of the underbody. A sensational blunder at this stage of the World Championship. But it's also a gift to all motorsport fans: we have a great finish and a rival capable of achieving a historic feat, supported by the admiration and sympathy even of those who don't like or support [Max] Verstappen."

The McLaren team witnessed their points-scoring finish in Las Vegas swiftly turn into a nightmare, with both drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, disqualified from the race due to a plank wear infringement.

The error also had a significant effect on the drivers’ standings, with Max Verstappen now level on points with Piastri and 24 points adrift of leader Norris, with two races and a sprint left on the calendar.

Steiner blames ground effect risk for McLaren Las Vegas incident

Former Haas F1 team boss Guenther Steiner has pointed to the risks of the ground effect rule as a factor behind the disqualification of both McLaren cars.

The 60-year-old, in his analysis of the event, stated that several teams try to push their cars to the limits of the rules, which sometimes ends in disqualifications, as witnessed with the McLaren team.