Piastri’s Absence from McLaren Celebration Sparks Curiosity
Following McLaren’s victory at the Singapore Grand Prix, the team’s celebration on the podium caused a stir on social media. The absence of Oscar Piastri, the leader of the drivers’ championship, did not go unnoticed. Piastri finished in fourth position, behind his teammate and rival, Lando Norris. This result, however, was enough for McLaren to mathematically secure their second consecutive constructors’ title. The race was marked by controversy. Norris overtook Piastri on the first lap, almost sending the Australian driver into the wall. Piastri expressed his frustration with the maneuver.The maneuver was crucial, reducing Piastri’s lead in the championship to three points. After the traditional podium ceremony, an unusual scene unfolded as the McLaren team invaded the podium to celebrate. The song “We Are The Champions” by Queen resonated as Norris, team principal Andrea Stella, and McLaren CEO Zak Brown joined the celebration. Piastri’s absence sparked speculation about his participation in the celebration. However, the reality was less dramatic. The drivers must follow a specific protocol after a Formula 1 race, determined by their final position. The first three give television interviews immediately after getting out of their cars. Then, they go to the cool-down room before the podium ceremony. Drivers who finish outside the podium must go directly to the FIA scales before media interviews. Upon finishing fourth, Piastri had to comply with this protocol. It is common for drivers to conduct interviews while the winning team’s national anthem plays. Rules can be strict. An example was Lewis Hamilton, who gave interviews before a hearing with the stewards. Hamilton received a penalty for exceeding track limits. Piastri, when questioned about the incident with Norris, stated: “I need to see the incident in more detail. I want to see exactly what happened before drawing conclusions.” Piastri joined McLaren in the planned celebration: a photo in the pit-lane with both drivers, the team and Stella. In the photo, CEO Brown was also absent, who had already left the circuit to catch his flight. “Work done. See you in Austin,” Brown commented. The United States Grand Prix is one of the six remaining races in the 2025 season. Piastri leads Norris by 22 points in the drivers’ championship.“That’s not fair,” said Piastri. “If he has to avoid Verstappen by crashing into his teammate, it’s a pretty bad job of avoiding.”
Oscar Piastri
