Lando Norris in the Singapore paddock - Photo: Race Pictures

Steiner tells Norris he 'should thank me' for Singapore podium finish

12:47, 11 Oct

Updated: 14:03, 11 Oct

byLuke-John Buckle

Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has told Lando Norris the Briton should thank him for the McLaren driver's podium finish last time out in Singapore.

“Lando should thank me! He would have been made to change his front wing."

- Guenther Steiner

Norris drove to third place at the Singapore Grand Prix in a battling drive. The McLaren driver made contact with Max Verstappen and his teammate Oscar Piastri on the opening lap.

His contact with the reigning world champion damaged Norris' front wing. The championship contender wasn't shown a black and orange flag to change it. Steiner feels a stricter approach would've been taken if Eduardo Freitas were the race director.

Freitas was the race director in 2022 when Kevin Magnussen, driving for Steiner's Haas, was shown a black and orange flag for a damaged front wing endplate.

Steiner told the Red Flags podcast about Freitas' approach: "You can speak with everybody in a normal way, try to explain things. He said he didn’t care. ‘I’m the race director, I do what I find is right.'

“Lando should thank me! He would have been made to change his front wing. I think, at the moment, they do it right, but, at the time when we had it, it was always us, and I got so pissed with the people.

steiner-mclaren-norris-piastri-singapore-gp-jpg

Guenther Steiner at the Miami Grand Prix - Photo: Race Pictures

“Then, the best thing was to put salt in the wound when Fernando was alright to lose the rear-view mirror, which is a lot more dangerous than us."

Herbert feels Norris did nothing wrong in Singapore

The championship battle between Norris and Piastri has been much friendlier than some other title fights in the past.

There was a flashpoint in Singapore when the pair made contact at Turn 2 on the first lap. Former Formula 1 driver Johnny Herbert feels Norris didn't overstep the regulations last time out.

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