McLaren team principal Andrea Stella warned Lando Norris to rein in his "ego" after the team's drivers crashed in Saturday's Singapore Sprint. Norris attempted to dive up the inside of Oscar Piastri on the last lap, but the pair touched and both spun. Instead of finishing fourth and fifth, nine points were reduced to just one as Norris crossed the line eighth.
The stewards decided not to punish either driver, judging after an investigation that neither was more at fault than the other. While Norris received most of the criticism as the driver attempting the overtake, he insisted in several testy interviews that he had done nothing wrong.
Stella: 'Simply not acceptable'
McLaren's 'Papaya Rules' have zero tolerance for team-mates colliding, and Stella made it clear both drivers will be put in their place. He said: "It's been a long day. The Sprint race was a race that was giving us some good points at a moment in which we are not in condition to win.
"Still, we were in condition to score good points and then we saw two McLarens having contact, going basically out of the race – Lando scored one point but that is definitely not enough. Seeing two McLarens making contact like that is simply not acceptable. This is something that we will discuss with our drivers.
"We will do it in private, where we will reiterate that the team's interests are far bigger than any of us. There's no ego, there's no person that is bigger than the McLaren Formula One Team. This will be reiterated. I'm sure, like always, these will be conversations that will lead to the team being even more united and stronger."
Drivers respond after qualifying
Norris said he had "apologised to the team" but refused to say anymore, adding: "That's all you need to know." Piastri added: "It's clear those kinds of things cannot happen. Everyone knows where we stand."
Neither McLaren driver could make themselves heroes again in qualifying, with Norris lining up fifth for Sunday's race, one place ahead of Piastri. Norris said: "We were kind of hoping to do a magical lap where things just come together, but there didn't seem to be the pace. The harder I pushed the slower we went, so the car was just too much of a handful. So we're where we deserve to be and should be."
Piastri was sixth quickest on the road but will start one place higher because George Russell will serve a grid penalty. He said: "Realistically, we knew where we stood. We're just not quite quick enough at the moment. All the laps were tricky to put together. There was definitely a bit more in it, but I imagine that most people make that comment after a session around Singapore."
Verstappen on pole for the Grand Prix
Max Verstappen will start Sunday's Singapore Grand Prix on pole and will hope to convert it into his first ever Sunday victory at the Marina Bay Circuit. History is on his side as 11 of the 16 races held here have been won by the driver starting at the front, though he will need a better launch off the line than the one he got on a damp track in the Sprint race.
