Lando Norris has acknowledged his role in the collision with Oscar Piastri during Saturday's Singapore Sprint, saying he let McLaren down and failed to prioritise the team's interests over his own ambitions.
The two drivers made contact on the final lap while competing for fourth position. Although the stewards did not issue penalties to either driver, the stewards' report revealed that Piastri did not expect Norris to attempt a pass and tried to leave room, while Norris believed his front axle was ahead of Piastri's mirror and expected space, with both drivers contributing to the incident and neither being predominantly at fault.
The incident proved costly for McLaren. The collision cost the team eight points, as they had been on course for nine points from fourth and fifth but scored only one, cutting their lead over Red Bull in the constructors' standings to 11 points.
Team principal Andrea Stella immediately labelled the incident as "not acceptable" in the immediate aftermath. On Saturday evening, Norris was reluctant to discuss the matter in detail, telling Sky Sports F1:
As a team we all spoke about it. I apologised but that's all you need to know.
His stance shifted markedly following his fourth-place finish in Sunday's main Grand Prix. Speaking to the written media, Norris was far more forthcoming about his error of judgement.
It's pretty straightforward. I can't attempt what I did. I should never have attempted in the first place, even if the move was on. I've got to think of the team that I represent more than myself,he said.
It was a mistake on my part, and I let down the team. I've also apologised to all of them, I owe them all an apology, and I will do better next time.
Stella encouraged by Norris' team-first thinking during race
During Sunday's main race, Norris demonstrated a different mindset by repeatedly asking his engineers whether he could assist Piastri in any way during the closing stages. Piastri was attempting to catch and overtake Lewis Hamilton at the time of the radio calls, suggesting Norris was exploring whether he should back up the Ferrari driver to help his team-mate's pursuit.
In the end, Piastri overtook Hamilton without any assistance from Norris to secure fifth place, one position behind his team-mate.
Stella expressed satisfaction with Norris' willingness to support Piastri but indicated that further discussions between the team and both drivers will take place before the next race.
We are aligned as to how we want to lead this team forward in a joint effort between the team and the drivers,the team principal said.
The conversations that we are having, they are not finished but it's not because we need to go back discussing if Lando was alongside Oscar, that's not the interesting bit.
For me the interesting bit is a reflection that all the stakeholders, the team, the drivers will have to make around leading together the team, embracing constantly from inside the cockpit the interest of the team, as something that is superior to any particular singular individual interest.
Stella emphasised that the team's focus extends beyond the immediate incident.
While the conversations from this point of view, they are not concluded and there's more we can do to become a more united and even stronger team, I'm pleased that Lando at some stage in the race adopted this way of thinking.
This is what I expect as a team principal, this is what the 1000 people that work at McLaren expect from our drivers so it's good that we read this example. I expect definitely more of that in the future, independently of the fact that they will be heard in the radio, or they will happen behind the closed door in every meeting or in the way we approach our race plan.
The collision occurred during a rain-affected Sprint. The Sprint began 30 minutes late after heavy rain left standing water at Turns 2 and 3, with drivers completing two formation laps and starting on intermediate tyres. The FIA's official Sprint classification lists Piastri as 14th, one lap down, and Norris eighth, with the collision also promoting Kimi Antonelli to fourth and Liam Lawson to fifth.
What happens next
Formula 1 now moves to North America for another triple-header event. The United States Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas is scheduled for 23–25 October 2026, with the race set for Sunday, 25 October. The event will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, with streaming available through NOW without requiring a contract.
