Despite McLaren celebrating a new championship victory after the Singapore Grand Prix, driver Oscar Piastri was far from pleased. As the entire team ascended the podium for their second consecutive championship, the Australian watched on wearily from the press room. An aggressive overtaking maneuver by teammate Lando Norris in the opening round resulted in him finishing in P4, causing him to lose further ground in the drivers’ championship.
A video clip from Piastri’s cockpit shortly after the Singapore Grand Prix is now going viral on social media. McLaren CEO Zak Brown thanks the Australian for his efforts and congratulates him on the constructors’ title. Midway through the message, however, Piastri abruptly unplugs his earpiece, abruptly cutting off Brown’s speech. Piastri’s face is visibly stormy. Another video causing a stir on the internet shows a dejected Piastri watching from the media pen as the entire team celebrates their new title on the podium.
Not much later, Piastri was eventually included in the celebrations, although various media outlets reported that he first had a stern conversation with his press officer. In the posts McLaren has since shared on social media, the tension between Piastri and the team is still palpable. It’s up to team boss Andrea Stella to bring McLaren – and especially its drivers – back together. “We will review the situation and have good discussions,” the Italian assured the media in Singapore. “We will come back stronger and united.”
‘Drivers Must Be Able to Trust McLaren’
“Oscar (Piastri) made a few comments in the car, but that’s the character we want from our drivers,” he continued. “They need to make their position very clear, that’s what we ask of them.” Piastri urged McLaren to take action after Lewis Hamilton had overtaken him in the first round. After all, the Brit had collided with his car. “Our review needs to be very detailed and analytical, taking into account the position of both drivers,” Stella explained. “After that, we can unanimously examine whether we made the right choices, or if we need to do something different in the future.”
“In doing so, we always remind ourselves: ‘This is difficult’,” Stella concluded. “Both drivers have their own ambitions and we must respect that. It’s a fundamental principle of the way we race at McLaren. Therefore, we need to be very precise, because not only are World Championship points at stake, but also the trust of our drivers. That might be even more important.”
