Norris accepts blame for clash as McLaren imposes “consequences”

Lando Norris has taken responsibility for his controversial actions during the opening lap of the Singapore Grand Prix, revealing he will face undisclosed “consequences” for the remainder of the season as McLaren’s duel for the Drivers’ Championship heats up in Austin.

Although securing its first back-to-back Constructors’ Championship win since the early nineties, the Singapore Grand Prix was a race to forget for McLaren, whose tense team dynamics were once again put on display for the world to see.

Charging from fifth on the grid to third by Turn 3, Norris took no prisoners when he barged his way past Oscar Piastri, making contact and sending his teammate ever-so-close to a premature end in the walls. 

The onslaught of frustrated radio messages spewing from the #81’s cockpit highlighted Piastri’s dismay at the Briton’s dismissal of the team’s ‘Papaya Rules’, however, his request to revert positions — a decision the team has made in the past to right disparities between teammates — was denied.

During the week that followed, McLaren celebrated its title success with the wider team at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, with damage control at the forefront of the occasion as the drivers, paired with CEO Zak Brown and Team Principal Andrea Stella, “dealt with” the aftermath of the Lap 1 incident.  

“I think the talks from Singapore were very productive, with everyone involved,” Piastri said.

“I think the conclusion was what happened in Singapore was not how we want to go racing as a team.

“And, ultimately, Lando is taking responsibility for that, so, you know, that’s in the past now, and the rules won’t change because of that.

“I think, you know, ultimately, we’ve got that framework in place for a reason, and yeah, there’s no reason for that to change now.

“So yeah, it’s been dealt with and now looking forward to the future.”

The Australian added: “I think, you know, no situation or no two situations are going to be exactly the same, so I think trying to have a kind of ‘ready-to-go punishment’ is very, very difficult to implement.

“Ultimately, I think we’re going to try and go racing as best as we can, and within, kind of, what we think is acceptable as a team.

“So, that’s really all we can try and do, but, you know, I think in the race, ultimately, I wasn’t that happy with what happened.

“Ultimately, the team has decided they weren’t… that wasn’t an acceptable Lap 1, and we’ve dealt with it.”

The outcome of the discussions looks different for Norris, with the championship chaser shouldering the blame for the intra-team contact, and thus facing long-lasting “consequences” as decided by McLaren.

“Things are reviewed, and there are and will be repercussions for me until the end of the season,” Norris said. 

“It’s not like I’ve got away with anything, but it was also an incident that, let’s say, was small and there was potential to try and avoid it.

“It’s something I never want to… I said it after the race, I can’t afford to make contact and have anything happen like what happened, because I put just as much risk on my whole championship from something going wrong, as I do on whoever I might be racing against.

“Of course, repercussions for myself, but otherwise the engagement and how we go racing is the same as it’s always been.”

When pressed on the specifics of said repercussions, the Briton remained tight-lipped, simply lamenting the notion that his actions in Singapore would have “consequences” for the rest of the season.

“I can’t say what the repercussions are, it’s for the team to know,” Piastri added.

“But ultimately, he has taken responsibility for it and there is a form of repercussion for that, yes.”

Arriving in Austin, Texas, for this weekend’s United States Grand Prix — sporting a Google Gemini livery — the McLaren teammates now find themselves separated by just 22 points, with Max Verstappen still a championship threat in third as he sits just 63 points behind Piastri. 

The USGP is the fourth Sprint Weekend of the season, meaning there will be a maximum of eight additional points up for grabs during Saturday’s Sprint Race.

Adding to the intensity of this weekend’s challenge, the FIA has also declared the USGP a Heat Hazard — the second occurrence of such an alert after Singapore marked the first introduction of the cooling vest mandate — with temperatures set to reach up to 34°C during the Sprint.

But before the competition kicks off, drivers will have one crucial hour of practice around the 5.5km Circuit of The Americas, which takes place at 04:30 AEST on Saturday morning.

Image: Formula 1

2025 United States Grand Prix Schedule (AEST):

Saturday, October 18th:

Free Practice: 04:30 – 05:30

Sprint Qualifying: 08:30 – 09:14

Sunday, October 19th:

Sprint Race: 04:00 – 04:30

Qualifying: 08:00 – 09:00

Monday, October 20th:

Race: 06:00 – 08:00

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