McLaren backs Norris after his collision with teammate Piastri cost him vital championship points

McLaren has thrown its full support behind Lando Norris after the British driver collided with teammate Oscar Piastri during a dramatic Canadian Grand Prix. The incident, which occurred with just four laps remaining, saw Norris suffer race-ending damage while Piastri managed to continue and secure a fourth-place finish.

The pair had been engaged in a fierce wheel-to-wheel battle for fourth place throughout the closing stages of the race. As they charged down the start-finish straight, Norris attempted an aggressive move to overtake Piastri on the inside. But the daring manoeuvre backfired when Norris misjudged the narrowing gap, clipped the rear of Piastri’s car, and slammed into the pit wall, damaging his suspension beyond repair.

Realising the costly mistake immediately, Norris owned up over team radio. “All on me,” he admitted, taking full responsibility for the incident. The crash dealt a heavy blow to his championship hopes, robbing him of vital points in a tightly contested season.

After the race, Norris personally apologised to McLaren team principal Andrea Stella and his teammate Piastri. Despite the costly error, Stella publicly backed his driver, insisting that while internal discussions would follow, Norris retained the full support of the team.

“It’s up to us as a team to show our full support to Lando,” Stella stated. “We will have conversations — and the conversations may even be tough — but there’s no doubt over the support we give to Lando.”

Stella praised Norris for immediately taking responsibility for the accident, calling it a “miscalculation” typical of the split-second decisions drivers face on track.

“This is just a result of a misjudgement from a racing point of view, which obviously should not happen, but at the same time is part of racing,” he explained. “We did appreciate the fact that Lando immediately owned the situation. He raised his hand. He took responsibility and apologised immediately to the team.”

Stella suggested that how McLaren handles the aftermath will serve as an important learning moment for both the drivers and the team. “How we react to these situations will ultimately be a very important learning point,” he said. “In the coming days, we will have to go into what is needed in order to make sure that when we go racing, we preserve the margins that are required.”

Questions had surfaced about whether Norris’s frustration from a disappointing qualifying session — where he started seventh despite showing strong pace — may have fuelled his aggressive approach in the race. Stella dismissed those claims, stating that frustration did not play a role in Sunday’s incident.

“I’m not sure that there is any reason to do with the fact that he might have struggled a little bit yesterday in qualifying,” Stella said. “Surely, there was a bit of frustration for not having been able to qualify as he would have liked. But I wouldn’t say that’s why there was a misjudgement today.”

While Norris will now have to regroup following the setback, his teammate Piastri managed to steer clear of damage and secure valuable points for McLaren. The incident leaves McLaren with both pride and frustration — pleased with Piastri’s result but aware that a double points finish had slipped through their grasp.

Stella confirmed that detailed conversations would take place once emotions had cooled. “There will be good conversations,” he added. “But they will happen once we are all rested and calm.”

As the Formula 1 season continues, McLaren will be hoping both drivers can bounce back quickly, with plenty still at stake in a campaign full of fierce competition and fine margins.