McLaren urges ‘perspective’ on Singapore GP opening-lap clash

McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella has come to the defence of Oscar Piastri after the driver expressed anger following a collision with teammate Lando Norris on the first lap of the Singapore Grand Prix.

The Woking-based outfit secured a second successive Constructors' Championship upon the conclusion of the 62-lap event at Marina Bay, in which Norris finished third and Piastri crossed the line a few seconds behind in P4.

Celebrations quickly kicked off in the McLaren garage, the team's first back-to-back Constructors' crowns since 1990 and 1991. But there was also a bit of tension in the papaya camp, especially in the face of Piastri.

The Australian driver was upset after Norris barged into the side of his MCL39 at Turn 3 on the opening lap of the Grand Prix, dropping Piastri down to fourth place.

Heat of The Moment

Piastri immediately vented his frustrations over the radio to race engineer Tom Stallard, claiming that Norris' move was "not fair" and inferring that they should swap back positions.

The 24-year-old's requests fell on deaf ears however, as McLaren refused to yield to Piastri's demands.

Speaking after the race, Piastri chose to avoid questions regarding the first lap incident, but it was clear that the Aussie racer was still not happy.

Sky Sports F1 asked Stella about his views on the comments made by Piastri during the Grand Prix.

"We have to put everything in perspective. It’s a comment from a driver in an F1 car, there’s the heat of the moment," the Italian said.

"The information that is available is just his point of view and Lando moving on to him. So I think, as usual, we will have a good conversation.

"We will build from there and come up stronger. This has been the whole process, as we said before, on building together a strong team, of which the drivers are a great foundational part," stated Stella.

Papaya Rules Persist

Many suspected that the so-called "Papaya rules" would be tweaked after McLaren seal the Constructors' Championship, with the pair allowed to race harder than ever before.

But Stella was keen to stress that the rules for on-track conduct between Norris and Piastri wouldn't change, even after the events that transpired during the Singapore Grand Prix.

• Read Also: Piastri dismissive after contact with Norris

He continued: "The two drivers, they were already in condition to race and pursue their aspirations.

"We will stay in continuity with this approach. Every race we learn a little bit, we fine-tune, but it's a matter of details.

"There will be continuity with what is the pursuit of the drivers’ championship, it doesn’t change the approach having won the constructors," concluded the McLaren boss.

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