McLaren Tension: Norris and Piastri, title clash in F1?

Tension at McLaren after the Singapore Grand Prix: Clash of interests on the track?

The Formula 1 drivers’ championship is experiencing a rise in tension, and the Singapore Grand Prix was no exception. The focus on Sunday night was not George Russell’s surprising victory nor McLaren’s defense of the constructors’ title, but an incident between teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. The contact in the first lap between Norris and Piastri was thoroughly analyzed, with possible repercussions in the six remaining races of 2025. Although according to the FIA rules, the incident was a simple racing incident, the situation became delicate within McLaren’s internal struggle.

What happened on the track?

Norris, from fifth on the grid, had a good start and was aggressive, overtaking Kimi Antonelli and positioning himself on the inside of his teammate at the first corner. Piastri gave space, but Norris closed in on him at Turn 3, where Max Verstappen was ahead. With a few centimeters between them, Norris grazed the rear of Verstappen’s Red Bull, causing his car to slide and collide with Piastri. Norris suffered damage to his front wing, but the contact with Piastri secured his third place. Piastri, for his part, finished fourth.

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

Oscar Piastri

The incident generated an exchange of messages between Piastri and his race engineer, Tom Stallard, where the driver expressed his frustration at his teammate’s maneuver.

The onboard camera of Piastri’s car did not show contact with Verstappen, so it seemed that Norris had lost control and collided with his teammate. McLaren has emphasized the importance of avoiding collisions, so Piastri felt that Norris’s aggressiveness was the cause of the contact. However, replays showed that Norris was unable to avoid contact with Piastri after hitting Verstappen.

Norris defended his maneuver, arguing that any driver would have acted the same way and that there was nothing wrong with his action. After the race, Piastri commented that he needed to review the replays to form a definitive opinion, but regretted that the two McLaren cars had touched.

Description: Oscar Piastri, left, and Lando Norris battle for third place on the first lap of Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix.

Why didn’t McLaren intervene?

McLaren has clear rules that allow its drivers to compete, but without collisions. The team principal, Andrea Stella, explained that the contact between the cars was a consequence of the incident with Verstappen and, therefore, a racing incident. Stella understood Piastri’s frustration, but reiterated that the drivers must express their opinions via radio.

The future of the title battle

The conversations between the team and the drivers before the next race in Austin, Texas, will be crucial. With six races remaining, Piastri leads Norris by 22 points, while Verstappen has reduced the gap to 63 points. Internal pressure at McLaren will increase as the championship nears its end, which could affect the team’s racing rules. Stella is aware of the pressure and the importance of everyone agreeing on each race weekend. Despite good intentions, the rules of engagement between the drivers have their limits. In doubtful situations, each driver will interpret the rules according to their interests. McLaren will have to make difficult decisions in the future.