Lando Norris has defended making a bold lunge on Oscar Piastri that saw the Australian spin out of the Formula One sprint race in Singapore.
Max Verstappen won a fairly processional sprint race on Saturday night ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, while George Russell crashed at the end of the first lap after momentarily taking the lead.
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Piastri was running in fourth place ahead of Norris, who decided to attempt an overtake on his McLaren teammate on the final lap of the 20-lap sprint race.
Norris went down the inside at Turn 5 and Piastri didn’t see him as Norris collided into his teammate, sending Piastri spinning off and ending his race.
Norris was able to recover and finish eighth, but Piastri didn’t and he trudged back to the pits.
Watch the McLaren crash in the video above
“If I was either driver I would avoid Zak Brown for the best part of the day,” commentator David Croft said on Kayo Sports.
“Piastri was pretty furious last year with his teammate Lando Norris, who he felt barged him out of the way in Turn 4. He is not going to be pleased with his teammate 12 months later.”
“McLaren will be furious about that on the final lap of a sprint when they were fourth and fifth,” Brundle said.
“It would have made no difference to the team whatsoever (what order they finished in). The team will quite rightly be absolutely furious.
“Piastri got a bit locked up behind the Ferrari and Lando Norris goes down the inside. Piastri hasn’t recognised that he’s there, left him a bit of space.
“But that was not smart Lando, that was not smart at all. It kind of doesn’t matter if it’s your teammate.
“The team will say it just wasn’t worth the risk just to swap the two cars in a sprint. What was Oscar going to do?.”
“It was a hell of a lunge, on your teammate at that point of the race,” 2009 F1 world champion Jenson Button said.
Norris apologised for the incident but suggested he was far enough alongside Piastri to attempt a passing move.
“Sorry about that. Obviously I didn’t want that to happen,” the Brit said.
“I thought I was fully alongside. I just ran out for space at the apex but I was there. We’ll review it.”
Piastri did not look overly pleased but said: “From where I sit, it’s fourth and fifth for a sprint race. I’m not that bothered either way.
“It’s just a lot of work for the team now to get both cars fixed. Just a shame for the team.”
Pitlane reporter Ted Kravitz said: “Both Zak Brown and Andrea Stella have, let’s put it delicately, declined to do any interviews at the moment, clearly furious both of them.”
The incident left McLaren’s mechanics racing to repair damage on the rear end of the Australian’s MCL40 before qualifying for the main race.
Piastri added: “I didn’t see him at the at the apex. I looked behind into the corner and saw he was a reasonable way behind for a corner like that.
“But I’ll have a look – and the team can do what it needs to do. We looked okay in the middle part of the race, but the start and the end, it didn’t wasn’t great. So yeah, that’s probably the biggest thing to look at.”
For his part, Norris said: “The pace was very strong. Obviously, just stuck the whole race.
“On the last lap, there was a big opportunity into five, so I went for it. The gap closed a bit more than I would have liked, and obviously I’ve had to back out of it because the gap was closing.
“So I’ve had to try and avoid the incident, and obviously there still was one. But that was a big gap, so I went for it. I have the right to do that. The rest we go review as a team…”
In its recap of Saturday’s session, McLaren said: “The incident breached a very simple but fundamental principle of the team – two McLarens must never come together on track.
“This was briefly discussed with the team after the Sprint before attention turned to qualifying.”
Norris again defended the move in an interview with a reporter from Dutch broadcaster Viaplay, who asked whether the passing attempt was “unnecessary” given the low stakes circumstances in the sprint.
Reporter: “Of course you want to finish as high as possible but it’s also sprint and it’s your teammate in front of you for four and five. Wasn’t it too unnecessary, that move?”
Norris: “What, to go for a big gap?”
Reporter: “Was there a big gap for you? Take us to the cockpit.”
Norris: “What’s the title of the race?”
Reporter: “Sprint.”
Norris: “What’s after sprint?”
Reporter: “Race.”
Norris: “Wow. Good job.”
Vertappen took pole position in Singapore for Sunday’s main race as he eyes a second race win in a row. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton qualified second and third fastest.
Norris had the fifth fastest lap and Piastri qualified seventh for the eighth time this season.
F1 qualifying top 10
1) Max Verstappen, Red Bull
2) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
3) Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
4) Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
5) Lando Norris, McLaren
6) George Russell, Mercedes
7) Oscar Piastri, McLaren
8) Pierre Gasly, Alpine
9) Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls
10) Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls
F1 Singapore sprint race results (points finishers)
1) Max Verstappen, Red Bull
2) Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
3) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
4) Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
5) Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls
6) Ollie Bearman, Haas
7) Nico Hulkenberg, Audi
8) Lando Norris, McLaren