Piastri’s Absence from McLaren Celebration
Following McLaren’s victory at the Singapore Grand Prix, the team’s celebration on the podium sparked a debate on social media. The absence of Oscar Piastri, the leader of the drivers’ championship, was the focus of attention. Piastri finished in fourth position, behind his teammate and championship rival, Lando Norris. Although the result was enough for McLaren to win the constructors’ championship, the situation generated controversy. During the race, Norris overtook Piastri on the first lap, almost causing a crash. Piastri expressed his frustration with the maneuver.That’s not fair. I’m sorry, that’s not fair. If he has to avoid Verstappen crashing into his teammate, that’s a pretty bad job of avoiding.
Oscar Piastri
After the podium ceremony for the top three finishers (George Russell, Max Verstappen, and Norris), the McLaren team went up to the podium to celebrate.
The absence of Piastri generated speculation, but the reality was different. After a Formula 1 race, the drivers must follow a protocol according to their final position. The top three finishers are interviewed by television, then go to the cool-down room and finally to the podium for the celebration. The drivers who finish outside the podium must go to the FIA scales and then to the press zone for interviews. Piastri, finishing fourth, followed this protocol. It’s common for drivers who aren’t on the podium to do interviews while the national anthem is playing. The rules can be strict, and drivers often have to go to the press before meeting with the stewards. An example was Lewis Hamilton, who was penalized with five seconds for violating track limits and did not return to the press area after the race. Piastri, for his part, went to the press area to give his opinion on the incident with Norris.Piastri joined McLaren for the planned celebration, a photo in the pit-lane with both drivers and the team. McLaren CEO Zak Brown had already left the circuit to catch his flight. Brown commented: “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.I need to see the incident in more detail, honestly. I think that once I have the full picture of things, then yes, we will definitely talk about it. I want to see exactly what happened before drawing conclusions.
Oscar Piastri
