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McLaren has publicly sided with Australian Formula 1 driver Oscar Piastri following a tense on-track clash with teammate Lando Norris at the Singapore Grand Prix — an incident that has exposed growing friction within one of F1’s strongest teams.
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The collision came on the opening lap in Singapore when the two McLaren drivers made contact, forcing Piastri off line and triggering an angry radio outburst from the normally composed Australian. Norris went on to finish third, closing the championship gap to Piastri to 22 points, but the podium was overshadowed by the intra-team drama.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s United States Grand Prix in Texas, Norris confirmed that McLaren reviewed the incident and issued what he called “repercussions” for his role in the contact. “Things are reviewed, and there are — and will be — repercussions for me until the end of the season,” Norris told reporters. “The team held me accountable for what happened, which I think is fair.”
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Neither Norris nor McLaren specified the exact nature of the penalties, but both drivers acknowledged that the matter had been handled internally. Piastri, who leads his teammate in the standings and remains in contention for the world title, said the team made clear that such incidents were “not acceptable” under the team’s “Papaya Rules.”
“The team has decided that wasn’t an acceptable lap one and we’ve dealt with it,” Piastri said. “The rules won’t change because of that. We’re going to try to go racing as best we can within what we think is acceptable as a team.”
Despite the tension, both drivers insist they are moving forward professionally. With six Grands Prix and three sprint races left, McLaren’s internal rivalry is shaping up as one of the season’s defining storylines — now heading into a sweltering Austin weekend that’s been declared a “heat hazard” event by the FIA.
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