In the lead-up to the United States Grand Prix, it became clear that Lando Norris would be ‘penalized’ for his collision with Oscar Piastri in Singapore. The Brit overtook his teammate in the opening lap, but this led to contact between the two McLarens – a cardinal sin according to the infamous papaya rules. According to CEO Zak Brown, Norris will face ‘sporting repercussions’ in the coming period, although the details remain within the team.
The turmoil around McLaren continues after the incident in Singapore. Both drivers confirmed on Thursday that there are ‘repercussions’ for Lando Norris, who held himself responsible for the collision. During the first free practice in Austin, McLaren CEO Zak Brown explained the consequences for Norris. “Earlier this year, we defined the way we want to race,” he said, referring to the papaya rules. “Now there will be a minor sporting impact due to what happened.”
“Let’s just move on,” he continued optimistically. “The drivers feel comfortable and can race freely. We have taken marginal measures, appropriate to the incident. Ultimately, it was just a racing incident at the start of a Grand Prix on a slightly wet track. It was not intentional. The consequences are limited and will probably hardly be noticeable.”
‘That’s not how McLaren wants to race’
Brown emphasized that McLaren always wants to avoid contact between Norris and Piastri. “We evaluate every race,” he explained. “In this case, Lando and Oscar touched lightly. The start of a Formula 1 race is always hectic, and it was not an intentional action. That does not change the fact that we want to prevent collisions. Lando and Oscar fully understand this, and that’s what counts.”
“Of course, we want to be transparent with our fans,” Brown added. He confirmed once again that both drivers get a fair chance to compete for the championship. “We choose the hardest path by granting them both the championship. It would be easier to designate a first and second driver – as some teams do – but that’s not how McLaren wants to race.”
