The 2025 Canadian Grand Prix witnessed a dramatic turn of events as McLaren teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri collided in the closing stages of the race, resulting in Norris's retirement. The incident occurred on lap 67 of 70, as Norris attempted to overtake Piastri for fourth position, marking the first significant on-track clash between the pair this season. The race, ultimately won by George Russell of Mercedes, was overshadowed by the McLaren drama, which immediately sparked debate and drew the attention of the stewards.
Norris, who had been trailing Piastri, made a move on the inside at the hairpin, gaining the position briefly. However, Piastri retook the spot, leading to a drag race down the pit straight. Norris, with DRS (Drag Reduction System) advantage, aimed to pass Piastri on the inside heading into Turn 1. Misjudging the available space, Norris clipped Piastri's rear tire, sending his own car careening into the pit wall. The impact was significant, causing substantial damage to Norris's MCL39 and forcing him to retire immediately. Piastri's car sustained damage too, but he was able to continue after pitting under the subsequent Safety Car, ultimately finishing fourth.
Immediately after the incident, Norris took full responsibility. "I'm sorry. All my bad. All my fault. Stupid from me," he confessed over the team radio. He continued to express his remorse in post-race interviews. Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Norris stated, "No one to blame but myself, so I apologize to the whole team and to Oscar as well for attempting something probably a bit too silly. Glad I didn't ruin his race. In the end apologies to the team." He further admitted that he had broken "rule number one" – not to make contact with your teammate. Norris also said, "McLaren is my family and I race for them every single weekend and try and do well for them on and off the track. So when I let them down like this and make a fool of myself like I did today, I have a lot of regret. I'm not proud of myself, I feel bad, so apologies to all of them. "
Piastri, while acknowledging that the collision was "not ideal," remained composed. "If Lando has taken full responsibility then that's how it goes I guess," Piastri said. "Just a bit of a tricky race in general and not an ideal finish." He added that the racing with Norris had been "tough but clean" until the incident. He also stated that he didn't believe there were any bad intentions involved.
McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella addressed the incident, stating, "Well, 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". Despite this, he appreciated Norris taking immediate responsibility and apologising. Stella also said, "It is absolutely a misjudgement that cost Lando quite a lot in the championship. It already cost for the team so definitely an incident that should have not happened.”
The FIA stewards investigated the incident and handed Norris a five-second time penalty for causing the collision. The stewards stated, "The Stewards determined that the driver of Car 4 was solely to blame for the collision. Because the collision had no immediate and obvious sporting consequence, we imposed a 5-second post-race time penalty on Car 4."
The crash has wider implications for the drivers' championship. Piastri has extended his lead over Norris to 22 points. The incident also marked the first time this season that McLaren failed to achieve a podium finish.
The incident has been described by some as a sign of pressure mounting on Norris in the face of Piastri's strong performance this season. Some observers noted that Piastri's calmness and consistency have put Norris under pressure, leading to errors.
