Stella gets serious with McLaren drivers after Singapore collision

When Lando Norris asserts the Sprint in Singapore is a race, and he was trying to go racing when attempting to overtake McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri on the final lap, it’s tough to disagree with him. But it’s also tough to agree with his decision to go for the overtaking move in the first place, given what was at stake as a reward in a best-case scenario, and what was at risk in a worst-case one.

In fact, for a driver who has been part of an impressively collaborative team culture, it actually borders on a selfish move.

If you weren’t following Saturday’s Sprint, a drying track remained a challenge as drivers stayed on intermediate tires for the race distance, given it was not worth gambling on slicks late on when the maximum return from the race is eight points. Damage before qualifying from sliding into a barrier would be far more problematic, so teams were risk-averse.

Norris, however, was not. On the final lap of a Sprint that he’d spent tucked up behind fourth-placed teammate Piastri, he wanted to send one down the inside of the Australian at Turn 5. The corner was particularly crucial to Charles Leclerc in third place – struggling the most of the trio on his worn intermediates – as he was trying to fend off Piastri and admitted he was struggling more in right-handers, but while the two cars ahead were prioritizing their exits, Norris saw a chance to take advantage.

The stewards deemed he got enough of his car alongside Piastri by the apex to be entitled to racing room, but with Piastri not expecting the attempt – saying he’d checked his mirrors before the corner entry and felt Norris was a reasonable distance back – the lead car turned in, and neither was able to bail out before a touch sent them both spinning.

Piastri retired, Norris was demoted to eighth, and a points return of nine became just the one.

That score is particularly significant given Max Verstappen’s victory and Red Bull’s resurgence, because instead of pulling a tiny bit further clear in third place of the constructors’ standings, McLaren ended up seeing its advantage over Red Bull cut to just 11 points.

And where the selfish aspect comes into it, is that all Norris was attempting to achieve was a different order of the two McLaren cars finishing in the same two positions, gaining himself one point and taking one off Piastri. There was no realistic opportunity to then catch and pass Leclerc in the remaining corners, and even without contact there was a chance that putting the sister McLaren out of position exiting Turn 5 would have given Kimi Antonelli a chance of demoting Piastri a further place.

It was only a light touch in a Sprint, and the stewards deemed it a racing incident where neither driver was wholly or predominantly to blame, but that did not stop team principal Andrea Stella from making his feelings known.

Being man in the middle between Norris (left) and Piastri is a joy for Stella when the good times are rolling, but not so much on days like today. Andy Hone/Getty Images

“It is serious,” Stella said. “It is serious because the damage for the team is material.

“We are in a close fight in the championship. We have the ambition to challenge Ferrari and this is a problem in the challenge to the second position, and we have an ambition to finish ahead of Red Bull and this is a problem to finish ahead of Red Bull.

“And it is also serious because we come from a few seasons in which we have reflected together – team and drivers – as to how we approach racing together and how we make sure that the interest of the team is protected.

“It is serious, but at the same time, we approach it with a very constructive mindset because there is only one outcome, that the team will be more united and the team will be stronger in the way we pursue our quest, which is the drivers' and the team's quest, together.”

There were moments when he was speaking that Stella closed his eyes in what appeared to be deep thought about how he was wording his responses to the situation, but also suggested it was one that had clearly stuck a nerve. McLaren has worked so hard on its rules of engagement in the past – at times to its detriment – with a number of incidents last year requiring further clarifications and understanding. Yet the predominant rule of not hitting your teammate was the one broken on Saturday.

Norris has enjoyed a well-deserved boost in confidence from his title win and has so often used that to good effect with some hugely impressive performances. Perhaps on this occasion that added confidence was misdirected, but it was certainly his decision to attack that was the instigation for what followed, even if Stella was careful not to focus on either driver in isolation.

“I worked with top drivers for so many seasons that I know that with drivers, there's always a degree of unpredictability, let me say, so surprised perhaps is not [the word]. You always have to leave a little bit of margin to the fact that there may be situations.

“I am, if anything, disappointed. Disappointed as a team principal for a situation that is absolutely not acceptable, because it caused material damage to the team, and every member of the team knows that the team interest comes before any personal interest, but above all is the main beacon that guides our action and our instinct.

“So not necessarily surprised, because I spent so many seasons in Formula 1 and I know that these things can happen, but we as a team need to reflect as to how we make sure that these situations do not happen anymore.”

Norris had doubled down on his belief that he was fully entitled to make the move after the Sprint, and while he retained that view post-qualifying he also revealed he had apologized to McLaren – a word not used in Piastri’s quote.

Stella admits he’s now treading a fine line between laying down the law before the drivers start alongside each other once again on Sunday, and ensuring their focus and headspace is the most conducive to delivering their best performance when the lights next go out. To that end, he stopped short of discussing the actual collision or driver actions specifically, insisting he doesn’t want blame apportioned at this stage.

“The aspect of apologies, fault, one driver is predominantly... Honestly, that's not the perspective I have and that's not the perspective I want from the drivers,” he said. “I want the drivers to take the perspective and the reflection around this is how together we are going to pursue, protect, promote the interest of the team. This is the assignment. I'm not looking for any apologies.

“I know the drivers – they are two excellent human beings. Here is business. And as a business, I want to know – and that’s the reflection that I want to keep developing – how do we work together to make sure that this does not happen anymore? And even more if possible, [so that] the collaboration of the two drivers delivers the best result in the interest of the team.”

Both McLaren drivers have been a huge part of the team’s most recent success, in part for the way they buy into the approach and example being set by Stella. Past incidents have generally had little knock-on impact, or at the very least have not lingered for long.

Stella voiced his confidence that once again both drivers will analyze the situation and reach their own conclusions without much of his input. With an all-McLaren third row waiting in Singapore on Sunday night, we might not have to wait long to see if that confidence remains well-placed.