Lando Norris has admitted he “let the team down” when he collided with McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri during the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix sprint race.
The Papaya cars clashed on the final lap of the 20-lap contest, as Norris dove on the inside of Piastri in Turn 5, eventually making contact with the sister MCL40’s right rear tire, sending them both into a spin. Instead of finishing fourth and fifth, the Briton dropped to eighth and the Australian retired.
Team principal Andrea Stella described the incident as “unacceptable” and said discussions would take place to ensure it does not happen again.
Asked if he expected more discussions and how they had gone so far, Norris said: “No, it’s quite simple.
“I can’t try what I did. I should never have tried, even if the move was happening. I have to think about the team I represent more than myself.
“It was a mistake on my part and I let the team down. I also apologized to them all, I owe them all an apology and I will do better next time.”
This marks a notable change from the reigning world champion’s initial stance on the clash, as he said on Saturday afternoon: “It was a big gap, so I went for it. I have the right to do it. The rest, we will review as a team.”
Lando Norris, McLaren
Photo by: Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images
“As good as it gets” Sunday
Norris bounced back from his sprint setback with fourth place on Sunday, the podium elusive.
The McLaren driver was fifth until Kimi Antonelli, who was eight seconds ahead, opted for a second pit stop under the virtual safety car on lap 39.
Norris inherited fourth place, six seconds ahead of Antonelli, and was 13 seconds behind Lewis Hamilton, who was struggling on worn soft tires.
The 26-year-old caught the Ferrari in just 11 laps, but struggled to make a move and was overtaken by a resurgent Antonelli before finally finding a way past a defiant Hamilton.
Norris finished fourth, but the end of the race showed that he would not have been able to keep pace with Silver Arrow’s new tires, as he found himself 16 seconds behind at the finish line.
“The result was as good as we could get today,” Norris said. “I think I could have gone about it in a better way and at least fought with Kimi.
“Lewis and I obviously wanted to see who would brake later in (turn) 1. He didn’t even brake in (turn) 1, so that meant I was leaving too. I could have fought better with Kimi in that case and I could have fought for a podium.”
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Lando Norris, McLaren
Photo by: Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images
“So I could have done a better job trying to get the result we got today, but I think he would have passed me no matter what. Fourth place was the best we could do today, so I’m happy we achieved that and we got some good points.”
However, this will not overshadow McLaren’s decline in the hierarchy. It is a third consecutive race without a podium for the team, after Norris won back-to-back Hungarian and Dutch grands prix this summer.
Asked if he felt better about Austin, Norris responded pessimistically: “No, not really. The car isn’t fast enough and it’s too difficult to drive. We’re far away, so…”
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5-minute survey.
– The Motorsport.com team
Gn sports
