Verstappen makes damning ‘half the cars’ claim after five DSQs in F1 2025

Max Verstappen claims that if the FIA were to check all 20 cars after a grand prix, Jo Bauer’s team would find “half of them are definitely under” the legal limits.

Five cars were disqualified this season for either being underweight after the grand prix or for excessive skidblock wear. Both Ferraris in China, as well as Pierre Gasly’s Alpine, followed by the McLarens in Las Vegas.

Christmas came early for Max Verstappen in Las Vegas

The latter set up a thrilling end to the championship as Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri had crossed the line second and fourth, their respective DSQs costing them 18 and 12 points.

Instead of the MCL39s only being weighed at the end of the grand prix, Norris and Piastri’s cars were put through more extensive testing that led to technical delegate Bauer referring McLaren to the stewards for excessive plank wear.

The stewards revealed Norris had two measurements that were below the 9mm skid block limit as the front right skid block was 8.88m and his right rear was 8.93mm. As for Piastri, he had three illegal measurements, as his front left was 8.96mm, the front right was 8.74mm and the right rear was 8.90mm.

It was a boon for Verstappen as he went into the penultimate round of the season 24 points down on Norris and tied with Piastri on points. Back-to-back wins in Qatar and Abu Dhabi meant he came within two points of the title having once trailed by 104 points.

F1 2025: The season’s winners and losers

The results of the F1 2025 championship

The final Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championship standings

“That was an early Christmas present for me,” Verstappen told Viaplay.

“It at least made it a bit more exciting. Otherwise you wouldn’t have talked about Abu Dhabi being so close.

“For Formula 1, I think it was positive – and for me.”

The Red Bull driver, though, reckons there would be more disqualifications after grands prix were Bauer’s team to put every car that completes the race through an extensive test.

Although every car is weighed, not all the skidblocks are measured which gives teams some scope to run under the limits and just hope that at the end of the race they aren’t called for testing.

“Of course, you always try to find the limit. We all do,” Verstappen explained. “And sometimes you get away with it… you’re not always checked.

“I think if you check that every race, then half of them are definitely under.”

But more extensive testing would mean more technical personnel would have to travel to every grand prix. As such Verstappen concedes it is not possible.

“No,” he said, “then you’d need a lot of people; that’s just not possible.”

The randomness of the FIA’s checks were called out in the immediate aftermath of McLaren’s double disqualification with Alex Albon claiming it opened the door for teams to run illegal cars.

“I mean,” he told PlanetF1.com and other accredited media, “we could run these things to the deck if we wanted to and have no legality issues, but then we’re all finding illegal performance.

“I think the main thing for me is, I don’t like that it’s random. I’d almost rather have 20 cars get checked every weekend and then you’d have a fair game, but it’s that randomly selected version that’s a bit tricky.

“But yeah, I mean rules are rules.”

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