Piastri’s Absence from McLaren Celebration Sparks Rumors
After the Singapore Grand Prix, McLaren’s celebration for the constructors’ championship generated controversy on social media. The absence of Oscar Piastri, leader of the drivers’ championship, was noticeable. Piastri finished in fourth place, behind his teammate and rival in the drivers’ championship, Lando Norris. This result mathematically secured the constructors’ title for McLaren. The race was marked by a controversial incident. Norris overtook Piastri on the first lap, almost causing the Australian driver to crash into the wall. Piastri expressed his frustration with the maneuver.After the podium ceremony for the top three, an unusual scene unfolded with the McLaren team celebrating on the podium. “We Are The Champions” by Queen resonated as Norris, team boss Andrea Stella, and McLaren CEO Zak Brown celebrated the achievement. The absence of Piastri generated speculation about his participation in the celebration. However, the reality was less dramatic. The post-race procedures in Formula 1 dictate that the top three drivers must conduct television interviews immediately. Then, they go to the cool-down room before the podium ceremony. Pilots who finish outside the podium must go to the FIA scales before the media interviews. Finishing fourth, Piastri followed this protocol. Piastri joined McLaren for the planned celebration: a photo in the pit-lane with both drivers, the team and Stella. Zak Brown, the CEO, had already left the circuit to catch his flight, missing the photo. “Job done. See you in Austin,” said Brown. 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.That’s not fair. If he has to avoid [Verstappen] by crashing with his teammate, it’s a pretty bad job of avoiding.
Oscar Piastri
