Stella calls Norris–Piastri clash serious after McLaren loses eight points

McLaren lost eight points when Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri collided on the final lap of Saturday’s Singapore Sprint. Speaking in the early hours of Sunday in Singapore, team principal Andrea Stella said the incident caused material damage to the team and was serious because McLaren were in a close championship fight.

At Turn 5, Norris tried to pass Piastri for fourth. Both cars spun; Piastri hit the wall and retired, while Norris resumed and finished eighth.

After the Sprint, McLaren were nine points ahead of Red Bull in the battle for third in the constructors’ championship. Stella said the team also wanted to challenge Ferrari and finish ahead of Red Bull, and that the collision threatened both aims.

The stewards found that both drivers had contributed to the incident, with neither wholly or predominantly to blame; they took no further action. Stella said his focus was not on apologies or individual fault, but on how the drivers and team could prevent a repeat. Some discussions had already taken place after the Sprint, he said, with further talks planned before and after the Grand Prix.