McLaren: Tension rises between Norris and Piastri after Singapore incident

Tension at McLaren: The crash that shook the Singapore Grand Prix

The Singapore Grand Prix of Formula 1 was the scene of an event that overshadowed George Russell’s victory and McLaren’s triumph in the constructors’ championship. The focus of attention was on the incident between teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri on the first lap. The contact between the drivers, analyzed meticulously, even in the early hours of Monday, generated debate about the possible consequences in the six remaining races of 2025. From the perspective of the FIA rules, the incident was considered a simple racing incident, common on the first lap of a Grand Prix. The stewards decided not to investigate, which means that the collision, without lasting damage to either car, did not warrant a post-race declaration. However, in the context of McLaren’s internal battle, the incident was more delicate. According to team rules, which promise fair play from the pit wall in exchange for avoiding contact between the drivers on the track, the incident was not sanctioned. This adds to a growing list of minor incidents that McLaren must carefully manage as the season reaches its climax.

What happened on the track?

Norris, from fifth position, had a good start, overtaking Kimi Antonelli and positioning himself on the inside of his teammate at Turn 1. Piastri left space, but Norris closed in as he approached Turn 3 with Max Verstappen ahead. With just a few centimeters separating them, Norris grazed the rear of Verstappen’s Red Bull. In a split second, Norris’s car slid, resulting in a second collision with Piastri, who was attempting to chart a course on the outside of the curve. Norris suffered damage to the front wing from contact with Verstappen, but the crash with Piastri secured him third place. From that moment on, Norris seemed to be the fastest driver, finishing on the podium ahead of his teammate, who finished fourth.

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

Oscar Piastri

The radio conversation between Piastri and his race engineer, Tom Stallard, continued:

• Piastri: “Are we okay with Lando pushing me off the track, or… what’s going on?”
• Stallard: “Oscar, we’re looking at it. Let me get back to you.”
• Stallard: “I need you to focus on what we can do here. Control the controllable, mate.”
• Stallard: “No further actions from the stewards. As a team, we can see that Lando had to avoid Verstappen, so we won’t take any action during the race. We can review it afterwards.”
• Piastri: “That’s not fair. Sorry, that’s not fair.”
• Stallard: “Oscar, chance to review together. Focus on this race, mate.”
• Piastri: “Yeah, but if he has to avoid another car by crashing into his teammate, it’s a pretty bad job of avoiding.”

Piastri’s comments, although energetic, are understandable given his perspective. From the onboard camera of car 81, the contact between Norris and Verstappen was not visible, and it seemed that Norris had lost the rear of his car and impacted his teammate. In a season where McLaren has reiterated the rule of avoiding collisions, it seemed that Norris’s aggressive approach in the first three corners had caused contact between the teammates. Even with the knowledge that Norris was trying to avoid the car in front, Piastri signaled on the radio that this should not happen at the cost of a collision with him. However, upon seeing the replay, it’s clear that Norris couldn’t avoid contact with Piastri after hitting Verstappen.

“I need to watch the replays more to know exactly what happened,” Piastri said after the race. “I think the main thing is that the two cars coming together is never what we want. I’ll go and look at it in more detail and then I’ll come to my conclusion.”

Oscar Piastri

Norris, who has been criticised for not being aggressive enough on the first lap, knew that the space on the inside of Piastri would invite a move at Turn 3.

“Anyone on the grid would have done exactly the same as me,” he said. “So I think if you blame me for just going on the inside and putting my car on the inside of a big gap, then, yeah, I think you shouldn’t be in Formula 1.”

Lando Norris

Norris added that he didn’t think he had done anything wrong and that, although he misjudged the distance with Verstappen, that’s part of racing. He also stated that, in any case, he would have finished ahead of Piastri.

Why didn’t McLaren intervene?

Regardless of the position taken, it is a fact that there was contact between the two drivers. Since last year, McLaren has established the directive that drivers can compete, but cleanly and without collisions.

After this year’s Italian Grand Prix, where Piastri was instructed to give a position back to Norris after a pit stop error, it’s clear that the McLaren pit wall is willing to intervene if they believe a driver has gained a position unfairly. Therefore, if Norris had gained a position unfairly by colliding with Piastri, they might have asked their drivers to swap positions.

The team principal, Andrea Stella, explained that the pit wall considered the contact between their cars to be a result of the initial collision with Verstappen and, in effect, a racing incident.

Stella understood Piastri’s frustration, but reiterated that McLaren has asked its drivers to express themselves openly on the radio instead of racing with repressed frustration.

“Obviously, Oscar made some statements while in the car,” Stella said. “But that’s the kind of character we want to have from our drivers: they have to make their position very clear. That’s what we ask of them.”

Andrea Stella

Stella also added that things should be put in perspective, considering the intensity of the first lap.

What’s next for the title battle?

The importance of the conversations prior to the next race in Austin, Texas, cannot be underestimated. With six races remaining, Piastri leads Norris by 22 points, while Verstappen, who finished second, has reduced the distance with Piastri to 63 points.

If those differences continue to narrow, internal pressure at McLaren will only increase, which could put greater strain on the team’s racing rules. Stella is aware of the pressure and the importance of all parties agreeing on each race weekend. She highlighted that, although competition between the drivers is encouraged, it is a challenge that must be addressed with integrity. With all the understanding in the world, the rules of engagement between two pilots can do a lot. In doubtful situations, each individual will interpret those rules for their own interests. From now on, it will be even more difficult for McLaren to judge the situation.