McLaren lifts ‘repercussions’ on Norris after Austin debrief

McLaren has dropped its internal “repercussions” on Lando Norris after revisiting the events of the United States Grand Prix sprint race – a review that, according to Oscar Piastri, has left both drivers starting fresh heading into Mexico.

The British squad had previously implemented a minor in-house penalty on Norris as a response to his collision with Piastri at the Singapore Grand Prix, a move intended to hold the Briton accountable for his role in the intra-team contact.

The measure, reportedly related to qualifying order privileges, was set to stay in place for the rest of the season.

However, that approach has now been scrapped following the chaotic sprint race in Austin, where both McLarens were wiped out in the first corner after Piastri clipped Nico Hülkenberg’s Sauber and rebounded into Norris’s car.

A fresh review — and a “clean slate”

In the immediate aftermath, McLaren pointed fingers at Hülkenberg and Fernando Alonso, suggesting both had left too little room on the inside. But once the team reviewed the footage in detail post-event, the narrative shifted.

The analysis showed Piastri’s aggressive cutback from the outside, in an attempt to gain momentum on Norris, played a greater role in the collision than initially thought.

That acknowledgment has prompted McLaren to wipe the disciplinary slate clean – and Piastri to shoulder part of the blame.

“We've gone through it again, we go through every weekend regardless of what's happened,” Piastri said.

“There is a degree of responsibility from my side on the sprint, and we're starting this weekend on a clean slate for both of us. Just going out and racing and see who can come out on top.”

Piastri also confirmed that, as part of the reset, “the consequences on Lando’s side have been removed.”

The team, he added, viewed this as the fair thing to do after Norris had already borne the brunt of disciplinary action from the earlier Singapore clash.

Focus shifts back to Verstappen threat

With the McLaren duo both failing to score in the Austin sprint – while Max Verstappen swept the Saturday and Grand Prix victories – the team’s attention has turned back to the championship fight.

The Dutchman’s dominant weekend gained him a massive 23 points over Piastri, narrowing the title gap to just 40 points, and putting him only 16 behind Norris.

That, more than anything, has reminded McLaren that the real battle lies beyond its own garage.

With internal tensions defused and both drivers restored to equal footing, the team returns to fierce but fair fighting to keep their championship hopes alive and their Verstappen at bay.

• Read also: Button offers wisdom on Piastri’s ‘tricky’ title fight

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