Lando Norris has denied he was aggressive with the opening-lap pass that saw him and McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri touch in Formula 1‘s Singapore Grand Prix.
Norris took the last step on the podium over Piastri with a third-place finish at the Marina Bay Street Circuit that also ensured McLaren retained the Constructors’ title.
The Briton had lined up two places behind the sister McLaren on the grid, but he completed a storming start to breeze past Andrea Kimi Antonelli on the run to Turn 1.
With Piastri having been compromised as he rivalled Max Verstappen ahead, an opportunistic Norris dived into the gap that had opened up on his team-mate’s inside.
That handed Norris the inside line in Turn 3, but he tagged Verstappen’s Red Bull and the contact was enough to cause him to bang wheels with Piastri on the outside.
Piastri expressed his displeasure at Norris’ manouerve over team radio, but, despite initiating an internal review, McLaren opted not to tell the Briton to cede the place.
“I think the start was good,” Norris recalled to media including Motorsport Week. “Just the right hand side of the grid was good.
“I think it was a good launch as well. I got across and put myself in a good position to not get checked up out of Turn 1 and into 2.
“I had a big gap on the inside of Oscar. It was just very close, still slippery because it was still damp in places and drying out.
“I think I just clipped the back of Max’s car and that’s just given me a little correction, but then that was it.
“Good in terms of I got two positions and if I didn’t get them there, I probably would never have got them, because, like we saw, it was too difficult to overtake.
“The aggression there and the forward thinking paid off.”
Norris holds no remorse over contact with Piastri
Norris repudiated that he had been too combative with his team-mate, citing that he would have held track position even without Piastri’s momentum being disrupted.
“I’ve still not even seen it, so I still need to go and see it,” he elaborated.
“I might look at it and think there’s something else I could have done or could have done better.
“Anyone on the grid would have done exactly the same thing as what I did.
“I think if you fault me for just going up the inside and putting my car on the inside of a big gap, then yes, I think you shouldn’t be in Formula 1.
“I don’t think there was anything wrong that I did. Of course, I misjudged a little bit how close I am to Max, but that’s racing. Nothing happened otherwise.
“I’m sure I still would have just ended up ahead of Oscar anyway because I was on the inside and he would have had the dirty side of the track on the outside.
“I need to go review it, of course. I need to look at things and see if there’s something I could have done better.
“The last thing I want is to make contact with my team-mate, especially because all I get is questions from you guys.
“I’m the one that can’t afford anything comparing to him. I would put myself at risk just as much if that kind of thing happens.
“I’ll see what I can do better next time. The FIA obviously thought it was fine and the team did too, so that’s it.”
Norris also stressed the episode and McLaren securing the Constructors’ Championship will have no impact on the team’s racing guidelines over the remaining races.
“I mean, it’ll just remain the same, which is [we are] open to race,” he addressed.
“So, yeah, nothing will change because we’re free to race and have been the whole season.”
READ MORE – Oscar Piastri dismisses media interrogation after McLaren controversy at F1 Singapore GP
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