Riccardo Ceccarelli, the mental coach from Formula Medicine, has long rejected the idea that Lando Norris could decide the World Championship with a deliberate collision. However, after the Singapore Grand Prix, his opinion has shifted. Ceccarelli now admits that Norris might be tempted to take a risk — even if it means making contact with his teammate Oscar Piastri — as the fight for the Drivers’ Championship heats up, with McLaren already securing the Constructors’ title.
The Singapore Grand Prix crowned McLaren as Constructors’ World Champions for the tenth time in their history. The Woking-based team achieved this expected result for the second consecutive year, thanks to their undeniable dominance. Yet what truly fuels debate is the still-open fight for the Drivers’ Championship, with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris locked in an intense duel, while Max Verstappen remains a distant third, trailing by 63 points but still mathematically in contention.
We spoke to Riccardo Ceccarelli to better understand how the closing stages of the season might unfold, especially after the two papaya-colored cars made slight contact in Marina Bay. “As the number of races decreases, the pressure for a potential match point for Piastri keeps growing,” Ceccarelli explained. “Even so, in the last three races, Norris has always managed to finish ahead of Oscar and take a few points back. It’s hard to say whether the Australian is managing the situation or if he’s starting to feel the pressure — as they say in tennis, maybe he’s getting a bit of a tight arm as the title gets closer.”
Ceccarelli continued: “It’s not easy to judge Piastri. I don’t know him personally, and he’s usually quite reserved in his reactions, which makes it difficult to read his emotions.”
Throughout much of the season, Oscar Piastri appeared mentally unshakeable, but recently, he has shown signs of vulnerability. “We’re seeing a slightly different Piastri compared to what we were used to,” Ceccarelli noted. “Besides finishing behind Norris in the last three races, he’s been more vocal over the team radio, showing flashes of frustration. At the same time, Norris has become more aggressive than usual. I know Lando well: he’s a very fair and cautious driver who rarely takes unnecessary risks. Yet in Marina Bay, we saw him nearly make contact with Verstappen at the start — and he even came close to clipping his own teammate. It’s clear that he’s pushing hard and giving everything he’s got.”
So, are both McLaren drivers operating outside their comfort zones? “Absolutely,” Ceccarelli said. “Being that aggressive isn’t in Norris’s nature, which increases his risk of making mistakes. But he’s still trying — and I see a Norris who still strongly believes he can win this championship. A while ago, I would have ruled out the possibility of this title fight ending with contact between teammates. Now, seeing Lando’s attitude, I’m not so sure. He’s stepping out of his comfort zone and might even make an error that could ruin his race — or Piastri’s.”
McLaren hasn’t won a Grand Prix for three consecutive rounds. When asked how this might affect the internal battle, especially as Mercedes and Red Bull are back in contention, Ceccarelli admitted: “It could definitely influence things. If other cars start finishing ahead of Norris, it could actually benefit Piastri. I’m surprised that just as McLaren secured the Constructors’ title, they seem to have lost a bit of their edge. It almost feels like they’re already shifting focus to 2026 rather than continuing to invest in this year’s car.”
That impression is not far from the truth — McLaren has openly confirmed they are prioritizing future development. “Exactly,” Ceccarelli agreed. “That means there will be more opportunities for Red Bull and Mercedes in the remaining races. Unfortunately, Ferrari doesn’t seem capable of joining that fight. Right now, the pressure is more on Norris than on Piastri, who can afford to play a defensive game. I don’t think Oscar is particularly worried at this stage.”
Some believe Norris should have attempted an overtake on Verstappen in Singapore, but Ceccarelli defended the McLaren driver: “I understand the reasoning. When you have Max in front of you, even if he’s struggling with technical issues, you think twice before launching an attack. It’s far from guaranteed that it would end well. I don’t blame Lando for not taking that risk on such a tricky track like Singapore. Verstappen wouldn’t have yielded, and the result could have been both cars out of the race — something that would have benefited Piastri enormously.”
However, as Ceccarelli pointed out, “You don’t win championships by overthinking. That’s true, but maybe Norris is hoping for some misfortune on Piastri’s side to close the points gap.”
The discussion eventually turned to Ferrari, whose struggles were once again on full display in Singapore. “From the outside, Ferrari looks like a team that has completely lost its direction — both in management and among the drivers,” Ceccarelli observed. “They seem unmotivated and lack clear leadership. I don’t see a united team — it feels fragmented and unsure of itself.”
Could this internal tension affect Ferrari’s 2026 project? “When there’s no good atmosphere, there’s always a risk that the negativity seeps into the group working on next year’s car,” Ceccarelli warned. “It’s hard to imagine one part of the team struggling while another is operating efficiently. Of course, we can hope for the best, but I still have doubts. I’m a great admirer of Fred Vasseur, and I hope he has things under control. But looking at the season so far, we’ve seen moments of brilliance from Mercedes and Red Bull in McLaren’s era of dominance — not from Ferrari. Motivation inside a team often comes from those small victories, from bringing trophies back to the factory and giving people something to celebrate.”
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