McLaren insiders have never seen Brown and Stella this angry, Coulthard reveals after Norris crash
Photo: Race Pictures
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People inside McLaren have never seen CEO Zak Brown and team principal Andrea Stella as angry as they were after Lando Norris collided with Oscar Piastri in the Singapore Sprint.
The former McLaren driver, David Coulthard, made the claim on the Up To Speed podcast. In public, McLaren's bosses have avoided blaming either driver. Coulthard's account suggests things were far less calm behind closed doors.
The two McLarens were running fourth and fifth on the final lap when Norris tried to pass Piastri at Turn 5. He hit his teammate's right-rear wheel and both cars spun. Piastri's race was over. Norris recovered to eighth and took the final point however, the stewards took no action because they judged that both drivers had contributed to the collision.
Coulthard: the instigator has to carry the blame
Coulthard accepted that there is no easy answer when two teammates collide. He was clear, though, about who started this one.
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It's tricky, isn't it, to figure out what is the appropriate penalty for two going in for the tango. It takes two to tango, and the person that was instigating the attempt was the one that touched the rear wheel of the car in front. So, I think this has to start being taken into account.- David Coulthard,
Coulthard then described the mood inside the team, as:
I know one thing: the team were not happy, and I heard from some team insiders that they have not seen their CEO and their team principal as angry as they were about that.- David Coulthard,
Brundle expected Norris to get a dressing-down
Coulthard is not the only pundit who thinks the dressing-down was severe. Before the Grand Prix, Sky Sports F1's Martin Brundle said he expected McLaren's two most senior figures to have come down hard on Norris.
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"I would imagine Zak and Andrea really tore chunks out of him, frankly, because it wasn't necessary," Brundle said. He also warned that replacing parts this late in the season, under the cost cap, could hurt McLaren's work on its 2027 car.
Norris changed his tone within hours
Straight after the Sprint, Norris insisted the pass had been on. Later on Saturday, after qualifying and after talks with Piastri and the McLaren management, he told reporters: "As a team we all spoke about it. I apologised but that's all you need to know." When Sky Italy pressed him for details, he added: "I was told off."
By Sunday evening he had gone further and taken the blame outright, as GPblog reported while McLaren's public statements never made Norris responsible. It argued that his change of heart must have followed tense private discussions.
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Will McLaren's anger lead to consequences?
In public, McLaren has stuck to warnings. Before the race, Brown told Brundle on the grid that both drivers had been given a firm instruction not to let it happen again. That leaves one question as the team heads to the next round. Coulthard says the instigator should be held accountable, and the insiders describe bosses angrier than they have ever been. Will that anger turn into a formal consequence for Norris, or will it stay behind closed doors?
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