Lando Norris defended his attempt to overtake Oscar Piastri after the two McLaren drivers collided on the final lap of a dramatic Singapore Sprint, with the contact dropping the Australian out of the points. Norris apologised to the team afterwards but insisted he had the right to attempt the move after spotting an opportunity at Turn 5.
The collision immediately raised tensions inside McLaren, with Andrea Stella and Zak Brown both moving away from the pit wall and Brown even throwing his headset. The team subsequently announced that neither driver would speak to the media before qualifying as work began both to repair the cars and restore order inside the garage.
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri collide in Singapore Sprint
The Singapore Sprint delivered a succession of dramatic moments, from the retirements of George Russell and Isack Hadjar to the final-lap contact between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
Norris had closed right onto his McLaren team-mate but appeared unable to complete a conventional pass. He eventually attempted a move at a difficult corner, leading to contact between the two cars and knocking Piastri out of the points.
The incident added further drama to the first Sprint weekend held at Marina Bay, with the 2026 Singapore Grand Prix schedule leaving the teams little time before qualifying later on Saturday.
McLaren tension rises after Norris-Piastri contact
The reaction inside the McLaren garage was immediate. Team principal Andrea Stella and Zak Brown quickly moved away from the pit wall, while Brown even threw his headset following the collision.
McLaren then issued a statement confirming that neither Norris nor Piastri would speak to the media before qualifying. The team faced significant work to repair the cars, while the incident also created an internal situation that needed to be addressed before the next competitive session.
Norris apologises but defends his attempted overtake
“I apologised to the team, we’ll go back and review what happened,” Lando Norris told the media, appearing irritated.
“I had good pace, but we were stuck in traffic for the whole race. At Turn 5 I saw a good gap and tried to pass. Then I saw it closing quickly, I tried to move away but I couldn’t. I have the right to try.”
Norris therefore accepted the need to review the incident with McLaren but did not back away from his decision to attempt the pass. From his perspective, the opportunity existed when he committed to the move, before the available space rapidly disappeared.
McLaren faces repair work before Singapore qualifying
The immediate consequence for McLaren was a costly end to the Sprint, with Piastri dropping out of the points and both cars requiring attention before qualifying.
The timing made the situation particularly difficult. Singapore is one of six Sprint venues on the 2026 Formula 1 calendar, meaning teams face a compressed Saturday schedule with the Sprint followed by qualifying for the Grand Prix.
Beyond the physical work required on the cars, McLaren also had to deal with the consequences of a collision between its own drivers. Norris maintained that he was entitled to attempt the move, but the team now has to review an incident that turned an already eventful Singapore Sprint into an uncomfortable afternoon inside the garage.
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