The Singapore Grand Prix held over the weekend was marked by tension between McLaren teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
Their rivalry came to the forefront early in the race and influenced not only the mood within the McLaren garage but also the race outcome.
This internal clash further intensified their on-track battle as both drivers are still aiming for the championship title with five races left for the season.
At the start of the Singapore GP, Norris, who began in fifth place, moved aggressively, gaining two positions quickly.
Meanwhile, Piastri fell to fourth. Soon after, Norris attempted to overtake Piastri at Turn 3, where he made contact with Max Verstappen’s car just ahead. This contact caused Norris’s car to veer right, colliding lightly with Piastri’s car.
This incident nearly sent Piastri into the barrier, forcing him to give up the position to avoid a more severe crash.
Piastri made his displeasure clear in radio messages to his race engineer, questioning Norris’s move and suggesting the team should consider reversing their positions.
McLaren has tried to manage the rivalry with policies ensuring equal treatment and strategic decisions, but the Singapore incident tested those efforts.
Norris defended his maneuver by stating that anyone on the grid would have made the same move and insisted that he was not aggressive towards his teammate, emphasizing that the initial contact was with Verstappen, not Piastri..
The incident had a tangible impact on the race. Norris managed to finish third, earning valuable points and narrowing Piastri’s championship lead by three points, with Piastri finishing closely behind in fourth.
Speaking after the race, Norris admitted that he did no wrong and anyone else in his position would have done the same thing: “Anyone on the grid would have done exactly the same thing as I did. So if you fault me for just putting my car on the inside of a big gap, then you shouldn’t be in Formula 1.
“I don’t think I did anything wrong. Of course, I misjudged a little bit how close I was to Max, but that’s racing.”
The race in Singapore might lead to McLaren adopting a harder stance to guide its players as they enter the remaining events of the season.
Max Verstappen’s second place earned him more points, and although he’s still in third place, further mistakes from the McLaren duo could see the Dutchman claim his fifth world championship title.
