🔗 Share this article

The British driver asserts that "any driver on the grid" would have made the maneuver that sparked renewed tension between Norris and fellow driver the Australian during the recent race.

The Briton collided with his teammate on the exit of turn three at Marina Bay after a bump with Max Verstappen's Red Bull caused him to slide.

This incident could potentially disrupt the well-managed team unity that the British team has successfully preserved between their two drivers through strategic leadership.

Entering the event, the British driver trailed his teammate by 25 points in the points table, and narrowed that deficit by only three points after finishing third behind winner George Russell and the Red Bull star, with Piastri close behind in fourth position.

Driver Perspectives

The Briton maintained he had done nothing wrong in overtaking his teammate.

"Every driver on the starting lineup would have done what I did," he commented. "Should you fault me for taking a racing gap, you shouldn't be in Formula 1.

"My car was slightly too close to Verstappen, but that's racing. Nothing serious happened, I'm certain I would have ended up ahead of Oscar anyway because he had the dirty part of the track on the outside.

"Naturally I need to review it and the last thing I want is contact with my racing partner. I am the one who must avoid any incidents. I would put myself at risk just as much if similar things happened.

"I'll review it but the FIA clearly thought it was fine and the McLaren did, as well."

The driver rejected he had been overly aggressive with his teammate. "I touched Max," he said, "meaning I wasn't aggressive with my teammate."

McLaren's Response

The Australian showed unhappiness about the collision. He communicated over the team radio that the team's decision to do nothing about it was "not fair."

Post-event, he was more measured, stating he needed to review the situation before making additional statements.

"The main concern is two cars coming together," he noted. "It's never what we want, so I'll analyze it in greater detail."

The Australian has previously been the driver to lose out in no fewer than multiple debatable incidents this season.

In Hungary, he was the leading McLaren driver initially but Norris was permitted to use a alternative approach to overtake his teammate, a decision that rival teams have scrutinized.

During the Italian Grand Prix, Piastri was ordered to allow his teammate through for second place after the Briton was delayed by a slow pit stop. He expressed concern that he believed there had been an agreement that a delayed service was just normal competition that had to be tolerated, but complied regardless.

Internally, he was unhappy about that circumstance, and he and the team conducted talks to address the matter.

But when asked after the Singapore Grand Prix whether he had worries that Norris might be getting favoritism, Piastri responded: "No."

Did he believe the squad had been fair all season?

"In the end, affirmative," Piastri stated. "Could things have been improved at specific moments? Yes, but ultimately it's a developmental journey with the whole squad and I'm very satisfied that the aims are very well meaning, if that is understandable."

Management Perspective

Team principal the Italian said: "We'll have thorough reviews, productive conversations and, like after Canada, we'll return stronger and even more united."

The team principal stated that although the squad had reviewed the collision in its immediate aftermath, "the collision is, in reality, a consequence of another racing situation that happened between Lando and the Red Bull driver."

He continued: "Oscar made some statements while he was in the car but that's the type of character that we want from our drivers. They have to make their position clear, that's what we ask of them.

"The team's review needs to be very detailed, very analytical, it needs to take into account the viewpoint of our two drivers, and then we will develop a common opinion upon which we will determine whether we can simply validate our initial interpretation or there's additional factors that we should conclude.

"Whenever we start our discussions with the drivers, we always recall, as a foundation: 'This is challenging'.

"Because this is the single area in which, when you compete as teammates, actually you can't have identical objectives for the both competitors, because they seek to achieve their individual aspirations. This is a core concept of the way we race at McLaren.

"We need to be precise, because there's much at stake. That's not only the championship points, but it's also the trust of our competitors in the manner we function as a squad, and this is, perhaps, more fundamental than the championship standings."

Championship Achievement

The controversy drew focus from the British team securing the team title for the second year running.

It is McLaren's 10th constructors' title, moving them ahead of their rivals in the all-time list into runner-up position behind leaders the Italian team, who have won it 16 times since the competition began in 1958.

This achievement represents one of the earliest times a squad has done this. It equals Red Bull's feat in securing the title with multiple events remaining in 2023, although that was a 22-race season compared with twenty-four this season.

McLaren's advantage has reduced as the championship enters its concluding phase. That is due in part to the nature of the three most recent circuits not favoring its strengths, and also because McLaren turned off the development program some time ago, while their rivals still have new parts arriving to their vehicles.

That decision by the team was rooted in the fact that they were experiencing diminishing returns in developing this vehicle, common when a design has such an edge at the start of a season, and that they wanted to ensure they were ready for the following season.

Norris, though, is well aware of the scale of his team's achievement, and the impressive transformation they have demonstrated under Stella and chief executive officer their leader from recent history, when they started the 2023 season near the rear of the field.

"Another title is a great thing," he said. "Looking at where we were three years ago, we have outperformed every squad in terms of progress in a period when it is more challenging to achieve with increased limitations and less wind tunnel time.

"At a time when it should be more difficult than ever to excel, that's precisely what the team has accomplished and given us, clearly, the fastest vehicle on the grid.

"It's consistently a very nice thing to say. It always brings satisfaction on your face. But we've additionally excelled as a squad in terms of drivers, between Piastri and me {pushing each other