- Comes after clash Piastri described as ‘not very team like’
Lando Norris has cryptically conceded he will face ‘repercussions’ for making contact with Oscar Piastri as the Australian attempts to reset after the teammates’ bitter Singapore scrap.
Norris’s podium finish in the previous stop on the F1 circuit trimmed fellow McLaren driver Piastri’s lead in the championship standings to 22 points, with six grand prix and three sprint races left in the season.
The Englishman’s third place was marred by friendly fire on the opening lap, when the teammates banged wheels and an uncharacteristically incredulous Piastri fumed and swore on the team radio.
The incident has set the stage for another heated chapter in the rivalry at this weekend’s United States Grand Prix in Texas.
‘Things are reviewed, and there are – and will be – repercussions for me until the end of the season,’ Norris said.
‘So it’s not like I’ve got away with anything.
Piastri was left incredulous after Norris ‘barged me out of the way’ in fiery Singapore race
McLaren had to step in to mediate between the warring teammates after the Singapore incident
‘But it was also an incident that, let’s say, was small and there was potential to try and avoid it.
‘Repercussions for myself, but otherwise the engagement and how we go racing is the same as it’s always been.’
Norris declined, in print and broadcast interviews at the Circuit of the Americas, to detail what consequences emanated from McLaren’s peace talks between the drivers.
‘The team held me accountable for what happened, which I think is fair,’ he said.
‘Then we made progress from there on understanding what the repercussions were for myself and to avoid something worse happening than it did.’
Piastri was likewise tight-lipped about what exactly the ‘consequences’ were for Norris after McLaren’s smoking of the peace pipe, which ironically unfolded when the drivers should have been celebrating victory in the constructors’ championship.
Piastri’s seven wins this season are two more than Norris, but neither driver has stood atop the podium in the past three races.
There is no suggestion McLaren will start giving Piastri favourable treatment as he bids to become Australia’s first world champion in the sport since 1980.
That sits perfectly fine with the Victorian.
‘Every driver wants a fair chance to try and win a championship,’ Piastri said.
‘For me, it’s more than fair to let us both keep fighting for that.’
Piastri noted Norris had ‘taken responsibility’ for their clash in Singapore, adding nothing had changed in terms of the ‘Papaya Rules’ underpinning the title race.
‘The team has decided that wasn’t an acceptable lap one and we’ve dealt with it,’ he said.
‘The rules won’t change because of that.
‘We’re going to try to go racing as best we can, within what we think is acceptable as a team.’
The Texas sprint race (0400 AEDT on Sunday) and main event (0600 AEDT on Monday) have been declared ‘heat hazard’ events by governing body FIA because temperatures are forecasted to soar above 31 degrees Celcius on both days.
That triggers a rule that gives drivers the option to wear specialised cooling vests during the race.
