Norris vs. Piastri: Tension at McLaren after Singapore crash, what happened?

Tension in McLaren: The Norris-Piastri Incident in Singapore

The atmosphere in the Formula 1 drivers’ championship is heating up, and the Singapore Grand Prix was a clear reflection of this. Beyond the surprising victory of George Russell and McLaren’s defense of the constructors’ title, the focus was on the contact between teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. The incident, analyzed meticulously, occurred on the first lap and was classified as a “racing incident” by the FIA stewards, who decided not to investigate. However, within the context of McLaren’s internal battle, the situation took on a more delicate dimension.

What Happened?

From fifth on the grid, Norris had a good start, overtaking Kimi Antonelli and going for the inside of his teammate at Turn 1. Piastri gave space, but Norris got dangerously close at Turn 3, where Max Verstappen was ahead. With millimeters of separation, Norris grazed the rear of Verstappen’s Red Bull, causing his car to slide and collide with Piastri, who was trying to take a line on the outside. Norris suffered damage to the front wing, but contact with Piastri secured him third position. From that moment on, Norris seemed to be faster and finished on the podium ahead of his teammate, who finished fourth.

“That wasn’t very team-like, but oh well,” Piastri said over the radio.

Oscar Piastri

Piastri continued with a tense exchange with his race engineer, Tom Stallard, expressing his disagreement with Norris’s maneuver.

• Lap 3: Piastri: “Are we okay with Lando pushing me? Or what’s happening?”
• Lap 4: Stallard: “I need you to focus on what we can do here. Control the controllable, mate.” Piastri: “That’s not fair. Sorry, that’s not fair.”
• Stallard: “No further action from the stewards. As a team, we can see that Lando had to avoid Verstappen, so we will not take any action during the race. We can review it later.”
• Piastri: “Yeah, but if he has to avoid another car by crashing into his teammate, it’s a pretty bad job of avoiding.”

From the onboard camera of Piastri’s car, the contact with Verstappen was not visible, which made it seem like Norris simply lost control and crashed into his teammate. Despite McLaren’s rules prohibiting contact between drivers, the incident was not sanctioned. Norris, for his part, argued that any driver would have done the same and that there was nothing wrong with his maneuver. He acknowledged a slight error in calculating the distance with Verstappen, but attributed it to the nature of racing.

Why Didn’t McLaren Intervene?

McLaren’s decision not to intervene was based on the belief that the contact was a result of the initial collision with Verstappen and, therefore, a racing incident. Team principal Andrea Stella explained that the incident would be reviewed to look for possible improvements in the team’s approach. Stella also understood Piastri’s frustration and emphasized the importance of drivers openly expressing their opinions over the radio. She highlighted that drivers have different perspectives and that it is crucial to have conversations to analyze the situation.

What’s Next for the Title Fight?

With six races remaining, the tension between Norris and Piastri increases. Piastri leads Norris by 22 points, while Verstappen, who finished second, has reduced the gap to Piastri to 63 points. If distances continue to shorten, internal pressure at McLaren will intensify, which could affect the team’s racing rules. The team will need to address these situations carefully to maintain harmony and competitiveness on the track.