Norris says fiery first-lap clash with Piastri just ‘good racing’

Lando Norris has defended his daring first-lap move against his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri at the start of the Singapore Grand Prix, insisting his brush with the Aussie was simply “good racing” in tricky conditions.

The British driver’s aggressive start helped secure a third-place finish and ultimately sealed McLaren’s second consecutive Constructors’ Championship, but it nearly ended in disaster when the two papaya cars made contact at Turn 3 on the opening lap.

Starting from fifth on the grid, Norris launched his McLaren brilliantly off the line, darting up the inside to challenge both Max Verstappen and Piastri.

The move was bold – perhaps a touch too bold – as he tapped the rear of Verstappen’s Red Bull before clipping the side of Piastri’s car.

Both drivers escaped unscathed, but the contact sparked immediate tension over team radio, with Piastri audibly frustrated by what he felt was avoidable contact. The stewards reviewed the incident but decided that no further action was necessary, leaving McLaren’s management to manage the fallout internally.

Reflecting after the race, Norris was unrepentant but composed.

“It was slippery. It was still wet in a lot of places. But it's racing. I put it on the inside, I had a small correction, but nothing more than that,” he told Sky F1’s Jenson Button.

“It was good racing. I wish there was a few more overtaking opportunities today, but I felt like I did everything I could today. And yeah, I'm happy with that.”

“I gave it my all today”

Norris, who had battled illness earlier in the weekend, looked revitalized during the race, executing a strong strategy and keeping Verstappen within sight for much of the evening.

He admitted that while Singapore’s tight layout made overtaking difficult, he was proud of both his performance and the team’s achievement.

“Not too bad [after being ill earlier in the weekend]. I could go again! It was a tough race. Max didn't make any mistakes,” Norris said.

“Whether I was feeling good or not, I gave it my all today and got close. A few chances were side by side and some good little bits of battling.

“But yeah, like I said, just too difficult to overtake, which is a shame because the pace was very strong today.

“And I would have loved to have tried to catch George and given him a little bit more pressure, you know.

“So I'm happy with today. I got forward two positions. We won as a team, the constructors once again. So I'm most happy about that.”

Brown: “A Nail-Biter”

McLaren CEO Zak Brown admitted his pulse raced when he saw his drivers bang wheels on lap one.

But speaking after the race, the American was quick to praise both Norris and Piastri for their performances across the season – but confessed the early clash had been “a bit close for comfort.”

“They have driven brilliantly all season. You can't win the constructors' without two awesome racing drivers,” Brown said.

“As you can see, we are letting them race. That was a bit more of a nail-biter there, but they race hard, they race clean, they race to win.

“A lot of racing to go and hopefully a lot more victories for both of them.”

Read also:

• Piastri dismissive after contact with Norris: 'A difficult race'

In the end, Norris’ third place and Piastri’s recovery to fourth delivered enough points to seal the championship for McLaren with six rounds still to go – a testament to the team’s consistency and competitive edge in 2025.

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