In a dramatic turn of events at the Canadian Grand Prix, McLaren team-mates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri found themselves in an unexpected collision.
- Norris, with fresher tires, made an ambitious move on Piastri in the final laps, sparking a tense exchange.
- Unfortunately, the bold maneuver ended in contact, resulting in Norris’ car hitting the wall and forcing him to retire.
- Despite the mishap, Piastri managed to finish the race, gaining a significant lead in the championship over Norris.
- After the race, Norris openly took responsibility for the incident, expressing regret over the risky move.
The Canadian Grand Prix turned into an unexpected drama for the McLaren team as Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri clashed in the final stages of the race. With only a few laps to go, Norris saw an opportunity to overtake his teammate Oscar Piastri. He had a slight edge with fresher tires and decided to make his move at the tricky hairpin. Naturally, this set the stage for a tense drag race down the back straight, with both drivers benefitting from the DRS into the imminent chicane.
As they approached the chicane, Piastri skillfully maintained his position. But as Norris attempted to maneuver around the outside, the two cars tangled on the pit straight. This unfortunate contact led Norris to smash into the pit wall, losing his front wing and ending his race prematurely. The incident drew comparisons to the infamous 2011 collision between McLaren’s Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton.
Despite the chaotic turn of events, Norris was quick to own up to the mistake. Before even getting out of his car, he acknowledged his error, stating, “Yep, I’m sorry. It’s all my bad, all my fault. Unlucky, sorry. Stupid from me.” In the media pen afterward, he reiterated his responsibility for the collision, clearly frustrated with his choice to attempt such a risky move. “No one to blame but myself,” he admitted, ensuring his apology reached both his team and Piastri.
Following the contact, Piastri managed to navigate the rest of the race, making a pit stop under the resulting Safety Car provisions to replace his potentially compromised tires. He finished in fourth place, widening his championship lead over Norris to 22 points. The collision has intensified the intra-team rivalry that’s captured the spotlight throughout the F1 2025 season, raising questions about the difficulty of competing against a teammate for the championship title.
McLaren’s team principal, Andrea Stella, expressed a pragmatic view on the incident. Stella emphasized that while the team dislikes seeing their cars collide, it was an error borne from misjudgment rather than malicious intent. “Lando misjudged the distance to Oscar’s car, and there was no ill will,” Stella remarked. He commended Norris for taking full responsibility while stressing the importance of reviewing the incident to prevent future mishaps. Stella is optimistic that lessons will be learned from this incident as the team continues its competitive journey in the F1 circuit.
The on-track rivalry between McLaren team-mates has only intensified, highlighting the fine line between ambition and caution in racing.
