Piastri missed McLaren’s celebration: Why? F1 Explains

Piastri’s Absence from McLaren Celebration Sparks Debate

Following McLaren’s thrilling victory at the Singapore Grand Prix, which secured them the constructors’ championship, social media lit up upon noticing the absence of Oscar Piastri, the drivers’ championship leader. Piastri finished in fourth position, behind his teammate and rival in the drivers’ championship, Lando Norris. This result, however, was enough for McLaren to obtain their second consecutive constructors’ title. The race was marked by controversy for the team. Norris overtook Piastri on the first lap, almost sending the Australian driver into the wall at Turn 3. Piastri expressed his frustration with the maneuver.

That’s not fair. I’m sorry, that’s not fair. If he has to avoid [Verstappen] by crashing with his teammate, that’s a pretty bad job of avoiding.

Piastri

This incident was crucial, reducing Piastri’s lead in the championship to just three points. After the traditional podium ceremony for the top three finishers (George Russell, Max Verstappen, and Norris), an unusual scene occurred on the podium, with the McLaren team joining in the celebration. The song “We Are The Champions” by Queen resonated as Norris, team principal Andrea Stella, and McLaren CEO Zak Brown celebrated the achievement. Piastri’s absence sparked speculation, but the reality was less dramatic. The procedures that Formula 1 drivers must follow after a race depend on their final position. The top three give television interviews immediately after getting out of their cars, followed by a visit to the cool-down room and, finally, the podium ceremony. Pilots who finish outside the podium must go to the FIA scales before the media interviews. As Piastri finished fourth, he followed this protocol. It is common for drivers who finish in lower positions to conduct interviews while the winning team’s national anthem is playing. In the case of Lewis Hamilton, he received a five-second penalty for exceeding track limits and did not return to the press area after the race. Piastri, for his part, joined McLaren for the celebration planned by the team: a photo in the pit-lane with both drivers, the team and Stella. In that photo, there was also another notable absence: CEO Brown, who had already left the circuit to catch his flight. Brown commented with a smile: “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 aim to be McLaren’s first champion since 2008.