For F1, what happened in Vegas does not stay in Vegas

DOHA :Contrary to popular lore, what happens in Las Vegas most definitely does not stay in Vegas as far as Formula One is concerned.

The aftershock of Sunday's double disqualification in Nevada hangs over champions McLaren ahead of a sprint weekend in Qatar that could hand Lando Norris his first Formula One crown - or erode his lead.

The Briton is 24 points clear of Australian teammate Oscar Piastri and Red Bull's reigning champion Max Verstappen with two rounds remaining - a total of 58 points to be won and all to play for.

After Sunday, there will be just 25 on offer.

Norris and Piastri finished second and fourth respectively in Las Vegas but, due to the under-car plank and rear skids wearing too thin, lost their points in a development that blew the title battle wide open.

WILL MCLAREN'S PERFORMANCE BE AFFECTED? 

"During the race, both cars experienced unexpected, high levels of porpoising (bouncing) not seen in the practice sessions, which led to excessive contact with the ground," team boss Andrea Stella explained on Sunday night.

"The breach was unintentional, there was no deliberate attempt to circumvent the regulations, and mitigating circumstances also existed."

The thinner the plank, the closer to the ground the car rides and the faster it goes.

The open and unanswered question, as the circus prepares for the second part of a final triple header, is how much McLaren's performance might now be affected over the season-ending weekends in the Middle East.

Rivals, and particularly Red Bull who have Verstappen chasing a fifth title in a row after winning in Las Vegas, will be keeping a very close eye on developments.

Qatar and Abu Dhabi should play to McLaren's strengths - Piastri won last year's sprint while Norris set the