The overtake Lando Norris attempted on Oscar Piastri that resulted in the McLaren team-mates crashing on the final lap of the Singapore Grand Prix Sprint was "not smart", according to Sky Sports F1's Martin Brundle. Norris had narrowly trailed Piastri in a battle for fourth for most of the 20-lap race at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, where overtaking is extremely difficult. Norris tried to go up the inside of Turn 5 on the final circuit, which led to a crash as Piastri turned in, with the Australian spun around as his rear-right tyre was struck by his team-mate's front-left.
Piastri suffered damage that took him out of the race, while Norris was able to get going again and take the chequered flag in eighth for the final point. Speaking on commentary immediately after the incident, Brundle said: "McLaren will be furious about that, on the final lap of a Sprint. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player "Whether they were fourth or fifth, it would have made no difference to the team whatsoever." The difference between finishing fourth and fifth in a Sprint is only one point.
McLaren were on course to collect nine points, but instead ended up taking just one and seeing their lead over Red Bull in the battle for third in the constructors' standings cut to just 11 points. The stewards launched an investigation into incident, which resulted both McLaren drivers being summoned for a hearing after the race. Brundle suggested that reigning world champion Norris was largely responsible for the collision.
"That was not smart, Lando. That was not smart at all," Brundle said. "I think Lando got on the kerb on the inside as the space pinched a little bit and that slid him even more into the side of his team-mate.
"It just wasn't worth the risk. What was Oscar going to do? It just wasn't worth taking the risk just to swap the two cars around in a Sprint." Norris immediately apologised to his team over the radio but insisted in his post-session interview that he thought the move was on.
The Brit said over team radio: "Sorry about that. Obviously I didn't want that to happen but I thought I was fully alongside. I just ran out of space at the apex but I was there, so..." Quizzed over in the incident in his post-race interview with Sky Sports F1, Norris added: "I'd rather just go back and review it." On whether he still believed "the move was on", Norris said: ""It was." Piastri played down the incident, claiming he wasn't "that bothered" due to the fact it was a Sprint event.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
