The McLaren Formula 1 team is reeling from a dramatic and costly incident at the Canadian Grand Prix, where drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri collided in the closing stages of the race. The collision, which resulted in Norris's retirement and triggered a late safety car period, has been deemed "unacceptable" by McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella.
The incident occurred on lap 67 of the 70-lap race, as Norris attempted to overtake Piastri for fourth place. Norris initially made a move on Piastri into the hairpin, but Piastri retook the position into Turn 13. As they approached Turn 1 on the start-finish straight, Norris attempted another pass, but misjudged the closing speed and ran into the back of Piastri's car. The impact sent Norris into the pit wall, causing significant damage to his MCL39 and forcing him to retire immediately. Piastri was able to continue, albeit with some damage, and ultimately finished the race in fourth place.
Stella expressed his disappointment with the collision, stating that "we never want to see a McLaren car involved in an accident, and definitely we don't want to see the two McLarens having contact, so this situation is a situation that we know is not acceptable." He acknowledged the potential for intra-team battles, especially with both drivers vying for championship points, but emphasized that contact between teammates is always to be avoided.
Norris was quick to take responsibility for the incident, apologising to the team and Piastri over the radio immediately after the crash. "I'm sorry. All my bad. All my fault. Stupid from me," he admitted. Speaking to Sky Sports after the race, Norris reiterated his apology, stating, "No one to blame but myself, so I apologise to the whole team and to Oscar for attempting something like that." He later added, "I thought I had a small opportunity, but with hindsight, I should never have gone for that move. I've paid the price, and I'm glad nothing adverse happened to Oscar."
The stewards investigated the incident and handed Norris a five-second time penalty for causing the collision. Their statement read, "Car 4 was attempting to overtake Car 81 on the main straight. He attempted to move to the left of Car 81, but there was no space. The driver of Car 4 said that he thought there might be space but realised too late that there was not, and he collided with Car 81." They determined that Norris was "solely to blame" for the incident.
Despite the disappointment of the collision, Stella praised Norris for taking ownership of the mistake. "At the same time, we appreciate that Lando immediately owned it and apologised to the team, which for us sort of reset the situation," Stella said. "I'm sure he has an important learning point coming from this race; he paid a price in the championship."
The incident has significant implications for the drivers' championship. With Norris failing to score any points, Piastri has extended his lead over his teammate to 22 points. McLaren's failure to secure a podium finish also marks the first time this season that the team has not had a driver in the top three.
Looking ahead, Stella emphasized that the team will review the incident to ensure that such collisions are avoided in the future. He stressed that the team's "papaya rules," which prioritize avoiding contact between teammates, remain in place. "It doesn't change things because it's a misjudgement," Stella explained. "It's not like the driver had an intent that was beyond the principles; it was just a misjudgement of the proximity to the car ahead." The McLaren team will undoubtedly be looking to put this incident behind them as they head to the Austrian Grand Prix.
