McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella has warned that there is “no ego” and “no person” bigger than the Formula 1 team after its drivers’ controversial last-lap clash in the Singapore Grand Prix Sprint.
Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris were running in fourth and fifth at the Marina Bay Circuit, as both bore down on third-placed Charles Leclerc.
Norris, seeing a gap, lunged down the inside of his teammate at Turn 5, but as the Australian turned in, the pair touched, spinning them both.
Piastri was out on the spot, with Norris recovering to take eighth place, securing one point when it would have been nine.
Despite apologising both on the radio and publicly afterwards, Norris appeared to apportion some blame to Piastri, admitting “no one’s very happy” within the team at that moment.
“As you probably expect, no one’s very happy. I’m not happy, Oscar isn’t happy, none of us wanted to go that way,” he said.
“There was things both of us could have done better and yeah, we spoke about it and I think we’ve done.”
McLaren contact in F1 Sprint ‘unacceptable’
It was reported that the Woking-based squad’s CEO Zak Brown and Stella were furious with the incident, which, to many, may have made a mockery of its ‘Papaya Rules’, which have been a cornerstone of its principles for the last two seasons.
And the Italian had strong words when reflecting on the pair’s clash, ruing the loss of the eight points that could prove crucial for McLaren in the F1 Constructors’ Championship.
“The Sprint race was a race that was giving us some good points in a moment in which we were not in condition to win,” Stella said.
“Still, we were in condition to score good points, and we saw two McLarens having contact, basically, going out of the race. Lando could score one point, but definitely that’s not enough.
“And seeing two McLarens making contact like that is simply not acceptable – this is something that we will discuss with our drivers.
“We will do it in private. We will reiterate that the team interest is far bigger than any of us.
“There’s no ego, there’s no person that is bigger than the interest of the McLaren Formula 1 team. This will be reiterated.
“I’m sure, like always, these will be conversations that will lead to the team being more united and even stronger.”
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