McLaren clinched its tenth Constructors’ Championship in Singapore – and its second consecutive one, something the team hadn’t achieved in decades. However, an unusual detail quickly caught the attention of fans and analysts alike. While the Woking-based team stormed the podium to the sound of “We Are The Champions,” their leading driver and current World Championship leader, Oscar Piastri, was nowhere to be seen. Instead, he was occupied with the official post-race procedures. The scene, quickly shared across social media, prompted a flood of comments from fans who noticed his absence as they chanted his name beneath the podium, seemingly reminding the team who was missing from the celebrations.
The atmosphere surrounding the team wasn’t entirely calm. Piastri had finished fourth, just behind his teammate and direct rival Lando Norris, after a tense opening-lap battle that almost ended in disaster at Turn 3 when the Australian came close to brushing the wall. “That’s not fair, he pushed me. If he has to run into his teammate to avoid Verstappen, that’s not exactly a great way to avoid an accident,” Piastri complained over team radio, clearly frustrated after the near-contact.
The move had serious consequences both for the race and the championship standings, trimming Piastri’s lead to 22 points – just three more than before the weekend. While Norris and the entire “papaya” squad celebrated on the podium alongside Andrea Stella and Zak Brown, Piastri had to follow the standard post-race routine mandated by the FIA: car weighing, television interviews, and media duties. For any driver finishing outside the top three, this process usually overlaps with the official podium ceremony, making it almost impossible to attend.
It’s worth noting that the podium celebration itself wasn’t fully planned. According to ESPN, the idea of celebrating the Constructors’ title directly on the podium was proposed by Formula 1 only during the Singapore weekend, meaning that even many within McLaren weren’t aware of the plan until after the race. Once the team realized that the championship was mathematically secured, they instinctively rushed from the pit lane to the podium. It was a spontaneous act of joy – but one that produced the paradoxical image of a title being celebrated without its leading driver present.
Piastri later joined the celebrations during the team’s official photo session in the pit lane, together with the full McLaren crew, Andrea Stella, and Lando Norris. Interestingly, Zak Brown was missing from that photo, as the McLaren CEO had already left for the airport to return to the United States. “Job done, see you in Austin,” he reportedly told journalists before boarding his flight.
In the end, Singapore turned into a weekend of mixed emotions for McLaren – a triumph both technically and strategically, but also a subtle reminder of the growing internal rivalry between its two drivers. With both Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris in contention for the World Championship, tensions within the team are likely to intensify as the season enters its decisive phase.
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