The Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix sprint race ended in absolute disaster for the McLaren team. Following a 30-minute delay due to torrential downpours, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were running comfortably in fifth and fourth place, respectively, during the closing moments of the 100-kilometer dash. However, on the very last lap of the race, a desperate overtaking attempt completely ruined the team's weekend.
While chasing down Scuderia Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris attempted to dive past Oscar Piastri on the inside at Turn 5. The two papaya cars aggressively collided, sending Oscar Piastri into a spin and forcing him to instantly retire from the race. Lando Norris managed to recover the car and continue, but he dropped all the way down to eighth place, salvaging a single championship point while Max Verstappen cruised to victory ahead of Lewis Hamilton. Lando Norris is currently under active investigation by the FIA race stewards for causing the collision.
Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Given the massive championship implications - McLaren is currently trailing Scuderia Ferrari by 89 points in the Constructors' standings - paddock insiders expected Oscar Piastri to be absolutely furious with his team-mate. Instead, the Australian driver offered a remarkably unbothered assessment of the costly incident.
When asked by Sky Sports F1 presenter Craig Slater if he had reviewed the crash footage to figure out how to debrief the team's internal 'papaya rules' moving forward, Oscar Piastri completely downplayed the severity of the lost points.
'I've not seen it properly. I mean, from where I sit, I'm not... You know, it's for fourth and fifth for a sprint race, so... I'm not bothered either way,' Oscar Piastri stated.
Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Rather than throwing Lando Norris under the bus or launching into a heated critique of his team-mate's aggressive driving style, Oscar Piastri immediately shifted his focus toward the massive workload now facing the McLaren garage crew. Because the sprint format leaves a very tight turnaround window before the main Grand Prix qualifying session, the mechanics will be scrambling to repair the extensive bodywork damage on both cars.
'Just obviously it's a lot of work now for the team to get both cars fixed, so... Yeah, just a shame for the team,' Oscar Piastri concluded.
With Lando Norris actively apologising over the team radio and claiming he thought he was fully alongside his team-mate before running out of space at the apex, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella will need to heavily manage the internal garage dynamics before Sunday's main event.
Oscar Piastri sits 7th in the drivers' standings with 128 points.
Source: Motorsport
