From Canal+ to Sky Sports, there is speculation in the pit lane that McLaren has granted Oscar Piastri priority in qualifying as Lando Norris\u2019 \u201crepercussion\u201d for breaking the team\u2019s papaya rules at the Singapore Grand Prix.<\/p>\n
It, however, didn\u2019t help Piastri in Austin as he qualified behind his teammate, P6 to Norris\u2019 P2 result.<\/p>\n
Lando Norris v Oscar Piastri: McLaren repercussions<\/p>\n
\u2981\tMcLaren refused to divulge Lando Norris\u2019 \u2018repercussions\u2019
\u2981\tSpeculation it has \u2018something to do with a procedure\u2019
\u2981\tAlleged qualifying consequences for Lando Norris<\/p>\n
All but assured of the teams\u2019 trophy at the Singapore Grand Prix, McLaren<\/a> experienced its first notable flashpoint of the F1 2025 season as Norris clattered into Piastri on the opening lap in Singapore.<\/p>\n The Australian was aggrieved that McLaren refused to take action in the heat of the moment for his teammate\u2019s \u201cwasn\u2019t very teamlike\u201d actions, but his race engineer Tom Stallard was adamant it was a conversation for after the race. <\/p>\n A conversation that saw Norris face \u201crepercussions\u201d until \u201cthe end of the season\u201d.<\/p>\n What those repercussions are, Norris, Piastri and the McLaren bosses aren\u2019t saying.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, we don\u2019t want to get into that,\u201d McLaren CEO Zak Brown said at the United States Grand Prix weekend. \u201cI think it\u2019s private business between us.<\/p>\n \u201cI know everyone\u2019s interested to know that. Both drivers are in a great place, and we just want to set them up to continue to be able to race each other hard. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not easy having two number one drivers, but we want to have both drivers competing for the championship, and with that comes challenges that are more challenging than if you had a number one or two driver, which we\u2019ve seen over the years.<\/p>\n \u201cSo we\u2019re racers. We like to see them race, but we don\u2019t like to see them touch each other.\u201d<\/p>\n More on the Oscar Piastri v Lando Norris title fight<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc49 Has McLaren really been playing favourites in Norris v Piastri title fight?<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\udc49 Oscar Piastri feeling Lando Norris \u2018favouritism\u2019 as McLaren under microscope<\/a><\/p>\n The American went on to say, \u201cIt\u2019s very marginal. It probably won\u2019t be noticed. Lando and Oscar know what it is, which is what\u2019s most important.\u201d<\/p>\n McLaren\u2019s refusal to divulge the details has led to speculation as to what Norris\u2019 repercussion might be.<\/p>\n Sky Sports F1\u2019s Martin Brundle reckons, \u201cit will be something to do with a procedure I imagine that gives Piastri an upper hand over Norris. That\u2019s the deal they will have had.\u201d<\/p>\n His fellow pundit Ted Kravitz claims it specifically relates to qualifying with Piastri given preferential track position. <\/p>\n \u201cSo I\u2019ve asked Mercedes,\u201d said the pit lane reporter, \u201cand they said, \u2018We don\u2019t know what the repercussions are\u2019, but I asked Red Bull, and they said, \u2018We think the repercussions are they\u2019re going to give Oscar Piastri the priority in all the qualifying sessions coming to the end of the season\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cOscar will be effectively treated in the qualifying sessions as the number one driver.\u201d<\/p>\n That seems to be the general consensus amongst media sources, Piastri will be McLaren\u2019s number one when it comes to qualifying.<\/p>\n Canal+ reported that the repercussions are that Piastri gets to choose whether he goes out before or after Norris in every qualifying session for the remainder of the season. He would, effectively, be McLaren\u2019s de facto number one but only in qualifying.<\/p>\n Piastri unable to capitalise on \u2018sporting repercussion\u2019<\/p>\n Brown called Norris\u2019 punishment, if you will, a \u201clittle bit of a sporting repercussion in lieu of what happened\u201d. But again, he would not go into details about what exactly that sporting penalty would be.<\/p>\n If, and it\u2019s a big if given McLaren has not revealed any details, Norris\u2019 punishment for his Singapore Grand Prix antics was to play second fiddle to Piastri in qualifying, it didn\u2019t work in Austin.<\/p>\n Norris was out on track ahead of his Australian teammate but while, theoretically, that meant Piastri had the better track conditions, he wasn\u2019t able to beat Norris on Saturday afternoon. In fact, he was three-tenths down on his teammate.<\/p>\n Norris crossed the line in his final hot lap in second place with Piastri yet to complete his lap. Minor mistakes from the championship leader through Turns 6 and 7 cost him time compared to his teammate with Piastri also down at Turn 11.<\/p>\n He may have had track position on Norris, but the pressure was also on.<\/p>\n Starting on the third row, Oscar Piastri feels the US Grand Prix weekend has “just not clicked” for him so far.https:\/\/t.co\/LqwWgxonsp<\/a><\/p>\n