Lando Norris discloses that there were “numerous reprimands” following the crash involving Oscar Piastri in Singapore.
Possessing two exceptionally quick drivers in elite machinery is precisely what every Formula 1 team principal envisions. Yet, as McLaren is rapidly discovering, having two fiercely competitive alpha personalities vying for the same stretch of track typically results in dramatic confrontations.
After a widely publicized on-track incident between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri during the Singapore Grand Prix, the mood within the papaya garage has been significantly strained. As the F1 paddock converges on the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, Norris is beginning to shed some light on the private discussions that took place once the carbon fiber settled.
The discussion in Brown's office
During Thursday's media session, Sky Sports F1's Ted Kravitz questioned Norris about the current protocols regarding racing. Kravitz humorously inquired if Norris was still permitted to "go for a gap" as long as it wasn't against his teammate.
"I can go for a gap on Oscar even," Norris promptly replied.
Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Shocked that McLaren CEO Zak Brown didn't fully enforce a ban on all wheel-to-wheel racing between the teammates, Kravitz asked if Norris managed to leave the boss's office without a significant reprimand.
"Oh no, I received plenty of admonishments and many words were exchanged," the reigning champion acknowledged.
Racing is acceptable, crashing is not
While management clearly expressed their dissatisfaction regarding the incident in Singapore, McLaren has opted not to impose stringent team orders. Both drivers are still permitted to compete for position, as long as they do not jeopardize the team's valuable Constructors' Championship points by colliding with each other.
"We're still allowed to race, we're still allowed to, yeah, we're still allowed to race," Norris clarified, emphasizing the precise limits established by the team. "However, we can't have a repeat of what occurred last weekend or what happened here last year; we must avoid that at all costs. We're allowed to race, but we obviously cannot have any collisions, and we have to prevent that whenever possible."
Lando Norris, McLaren
With a conventional race format set for the US Grand Prix, Norris is eager to utilize the three full practice sessions to fine-tune his setup and completely move on from the internal team tensions.
"A lot, but we're in Austin now, so I'm looking forward to this weekend, putting the past behind me, and excited for Austin," he remarked. "It's a track I love and I'm ready to get started."
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