At McLaren they pride themselves on the fact that both drivers are allowed to race with each other, but that there are mutual agreements. These have been under a magnifying glass in recent weeks. In Monza – at the beginning of September – Norris was faster than Piastri, but due to a poorly executed pit stop he fell behind the World Cup leader. McLaren then instructed Piastri to let Norris pass again.
McLaren has won the team title, but what next with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris?
About two weeks ago in Singapore, Norris launched the attack immediately after the start, first hitting Max Verstappen at the back and then also coming into contact with Piastri. The Australian was angry, but neither the race management nor McLaren intervened and Norris eventually finished third, ahead of Piastri.
What does Lando Norris say about the situation at McLaren?
“The situation has been analyzed and there will be consequences for me until the end of the season,” said Norris, who remained mum on the exact consequences. “It’s not that I got away with anything. It was a minor incident, but there was an opportunity to try to prevent it. I can’t afford for something like that to happen: making contact with another driver. It doesn’t matter who my opponent is, but I run too much risk in the championship.”
Piastri speaks about ‘productive conversations’ within McLaren. “I think the conclusion was that we don’t want what happened in Singapore. That’s not how we want to race as a team. And in the end, Lando took responsibility for that.”
Max Verstappen
Piastri has a 22-point lead over Norris. Next weekend there will be racing in Austin. Max Verstappen follows 63 points behind the World Cup leader. The Dutchman said about the situation at McLaren: “If you leave the door open a little, as in Singapore (referring to Piastri, ed.), then you get moments like this. McLaren has also brought that on itself a bit, by trying to treat the drivers as equally as possible.”
‘McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris are good, but not at the level of Max Verstappen, George Russell or Charles Leclerc’
Look, I don’t know what’s said behind closed doors at McLaren. But if, like in Singapore, you leave the door slightly open, you get situations like this. McLaren has also brought that on itself a bit by trying to treat the drivers as equally as possible.” According to Verstappen, he himself would ‘never have let it get to this point’. “I don’t think we would have been so close to each other in terms of points. You just have to try not to end up in such a situation.”
“I think the talks from Singapore were very productive for everyone involved,” the Australian said. “I think the conclusion was that what is happening in Singapore is not how we want to race as a team, and ultimately Lando took responsibility for that.”
That is now a thing of the past and the rules will not change as a result. Ultimately, we introduced that framework for a reason and there is no reason to change it now. It has been addressed and we are now looking forward to the future.
“Things are being reconsidered and there will be and will be consequences for me until the end of the season,” the Briton explained. “It’s not that I got away with it, but it was also an incident that was, let’s say, minor and that there was the possibility of trying to prevent it.
“That’s something I never want… I said it after the race: I can’t afford to make contact and have something like that happen, because I’m just as much at risk to my entire championship as I am to the opponent I’m racing against.