Piastri’s Absence and McLaren’s Celebration in Singapore
After the Singapore Grand Prix, McLaren’s celebration on the podium for the constructors’ championship raised questions about the absence of Oscar Piastri, the drivers’ championship leader. Piastri finished fourth, behind his teammate and rival in the drivers’ championship, Lando Norris. This result was enough to secure the constructors’ championship for McLaren. The race was marked by a controversial incident. Norris overtook Piastri on the first lap, forcing the Australian driver to get close to the wall. Piastri expressed his frustration with the maneuver.After the podium ceremony for the top three finishers (George Russell, Max Verstappen, and Lando Norris), the McLaren team joined Norris on the podium to celebrate his achievement. The absence of Piastri generated speculation, but the reality was different. Pilots who finish outside the podium must go directly to the FIA scales before media interviews. Piastri, finishing fourth, followed this protocol. Often, drivers finishing fourth or lower conduct interviews while the team and winning driver’s national anthem is playing. Piastri joined McLaren for the planned celebration: a photo in the pit-lane with both drivers, the team, and Andrea Stella. McLaren CEO Zak Brown had already left the circuit to catch his flight. Brown expressed his satisfaction with the victory. “Job done. See you in Austin.” The United States Grand Prix is one of the six remaining races of the 2025 season. Piastri leads Norris by 22 points in the drivers’ championship. Both drivers aim to become McLaren’s first champion since 2008.That’s not fair. If he has to avoid [Verstappen] by crashing with his teammate, it’s a pretty bad job of avoiding.
Oscar Piastri
