McLaren blasted for handling of Lando Norris-Oscar Piastri Singapore GP clash

Former F1 team manager Peter Windsor has blasted McLaren for their handling of the intra-team rivalry between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri after their incident at the Singapore Grand Prix.

After making a lightning start from fifth on the grid, Norris got ahead of his teammate into Turn 3 on the opening lap of Sunday’s race in Singapore.

In doing so, Norris tapped the back of Max Verstappen, which in turn forced his car into Piastri.

This pushed Piastri wide and allowed Norris to gain the place.

Piastri felt that Norris completed the move unfairly and not in line with McLaren’s rules of engagement.

The stewards decided to take no action, and McLaren opted not to intervene.

Norris defended his actions, stating that it was “just racing” and that anyone criticising him shouldn’t be in F1.

Windsor, who was team manager for Williams and Ferrari in the 1990s, felt that Norris’ move was too aggressive given he was racing against his teammate.

“I totally get it. I think he was quite right to say that because when you give a teammate room and the teammate then basically runs wide and touches wheels with you because he’s misjudged the speed of the car in front, and has to avoid Max Verstappen in this case,” Windsor said on his YouTube channel.

“That is not on. It’s not on when it’s a teammate. If it’s another driver from another team, but two teammates? It’s not on.

“If they were not teammates, you could say ‘this is normal motor racing first lap’. But this was teammate stuff between the McLarens. And there was a moment when Oscar gave room to Lando Norris, much as Lando Norris gave room to Oscar Piastri at the start of the Hungarian GP last year, but that’s another story.”

“Utter mess” for McLaren

With  Verstappen finishing second, both Piastri and Norris continue to be reeled in the championship standings with six rounds to go.

Ahead of next weekend’s United States Grand Prix, Piastri is 22 points ahead of Norris.

Verstappen is 61 points off the pace after he was unable to beat George Russell to victory in Singapore.

Windsor thinks McLaren underperformed as a result of their Lap 1 squabble in Singapore.

“This one, they’re going side by side, and he gives Lando room, and then Lando goes away,” Windsor added.

“Having touched wheels with Oscar, there was no damage to either McLaren. Or maybe there was to Oscar, because he wasn’t very good thereafter. And Oscar then filtered into fourth place and thereafter drove a very desultory race.”

“Under the heading of Zak’s master plan, how this is all going to be handled — this was a complete and utter mess, and I don’t think they got the best today as a result.”