Former Formula 1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya has branded Oscar Piastri a “fool” after the championship leader left the door open to teammate Lando Norris on the first lap of the Singapore Grand Prix.

Montoya praised Norris’ bold maneuver, though he did acknowledge that in the eyes of McLaren and its ‘papaya rules’ mandate, it was likely a step too far on the Briton’s side.

Oscar Piastri left door open to Norris like a ‘fool’

The 2025 Singapore Grand Prix brought with it ample drama in the McLaren Racing camp after Lando Norris made contact with both Max Verstappen and his teammate Oscar Piastri in the opening lap of the event at Marina Bay.

Starting from fifth on the grid, Norris took advantage of a gap opened by his teammate to charge up the inside in an attempt to gain as many positions as possible from the start of the race.

However, slightly damp conditions paired with the harried start of any grand prix meant that Norris made contact with Verstappen’s RB21, which then ricocheted him into his own teammate.

More on McLaren and papaya rules:

👉 Uncovered Oscar Piastri clip sheds new light on Norris Singapore GP collision

👉 The future of McLaren’s papaya rules: Are ‘consequences’ now out of the window?

Piastri was clearly frustrated over the radio as he pointed out Norris’ move was not very “team-like,” a reference to the team’s ‘papaya rules’ that state both drivers are allowed to race one another so long as they don’t make contact.

But Juan Pablo Montoya sees things differently, which he pointed out on the AS Colombia YouTube channel after the race.

“We’re seeing a Lando who is starting to take control,” the former F1 driver stated.

“He’s starting to make his presence felt. He did what he had to do.

“Oscar left the door open like never before. Coming out of the first corner, if you look, Lando sees that Oscar doesn’t accelerate, and the moment Lando accelerates, Oscar opens [the throttle].”

In Montoya’s eyes, “Oscar acted like a fool for once. He threw himself like crazy on the outside so that Lando wouldn’t reach him, and Lando threw himself like crazy on the inside.

“It’s the first corner of the race. What are they waiting for?”

While Montoya personally approved of Norris’ maneuver, he did admit that in the context of the team’s driving standards, it was likely a step too far.

“Lando did nothing wrong,” he said. “But considering how they are racing among the McLarens, he crossed the line.”

Much of the post-race drama from Singapore has centered on McLaren’s racing standards. Earlier in the F1 2025 season, Piastri was warned by the team against making “marginal” moves on his teammate that could have resulted in contact, at which point Piastri eased off before contact was made.

Further, videos have circulated after the Singapore incident in which Piastri defines “papaya rules” as being just one rule: “don’t crash into each other.”

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella vowed that the first-lap contact in Singapore would be reviewed, though he has been clear in his belief that it won’t require a change in driving style between either driver.

Now that the constructors’ championship title is settled in favor of the Woking-based team, though, many onlookers expect both teammates to be more willing to take matters into their own hands as they battle for drivers’ title honors.

Read next: McLaren deny Alex Palou ‘lies and false impressions’ claim in ongoing lawsuit