Formula One F1 - Dutch Grand Prix - Circuit Zandvoort, Zandvoort, Netherlands - August 30, 2025 McLaren's Oscar Piastri celebrates after qualifying in pole position with second placed McLaren's Lando Norris REUTERS/Jakub Porzycki/File Photo
SINGAPORE (Reuters) -Championship leader Oscar Piastri's back-and-forth on the team radio after being passed by Lando Norris at the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday suggests the remainder of McLaren's season might not be smooth sailing as the duo fight it out for the title.
Third place for Norris and fourth for Piastri on Sunday secured the team a 10th constructors' title with six races remaining.
Notwithstanding the eternal ambitions of Max Verstappen, the drivers' title should also be theirs and the team have consistently maintained they will allow their drivers to race.
Race they did on the opening corner on Sunday when Norris charged up the inside of Piastri from fifth on the grid, clipping the back of Verstappen and forcing his Australian teammate so wide that he almost hit the wall.
Piastri was livid, saying that Norris had barged him out of the way and complaining of unfairness when the team said they were going to take no action during the race.
He later accepted that the tension of the first lap of the race had contributed to his anger in the cockpit and said he would reserve further comment until he had watched it again.
"I don't think obviously there was any intention of contact but there was, and again I need to look at the replay and see what exactly happened," said Piastri, who now has a 22-point lead over Norris and 63 over Verstappen.
Norris said the contact with the Red Bull had forced him into Piastri but, as was the case when Verstappen accused him of obstructing his lap in qualifying on Friday, flatly dismissed the idea that he had done anything wrong.
"Anyone on the grid would have done exactly the same thing as what I did," he said.
"So I think if you fault me for just going on the inside and putting my car on the inside of a big gap, I think you shouldn't be in Formula One.
"I didn't think there was anything wrong that I did. Of course, I misjudged a little bit how close I am to Max, but that's racing."
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said the team would review the incident but also thought Piastri's initial comments were down to race context.
"That's the kind of character that we want to have from our drivers. They have to make their position very clear," he said.
"We made our assessment, and we thought that the right course of action is the one that we took.
"But part of the process is the review that will happen in the coming days and surely this will lead to an even more united and stronger team."
Stella said securing the constructors' championship would not change the rules of engagement between Piastri and Norris.
"This is a foundational principle of the way we go racing at McLaren, we want to protect this 'let them race' concept," he added. "If we have been able to navigate through these difficult parts of going racing, it's because we have Lando and Oscar on board."
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Toby Davis)
