McLaren intends to maintain its policy of allowing Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to race each other freely. However, their recent collision at the Canadian Grand Prix has underscored the need for the teammates to exercise greater caution when competing closely on track.
During the closing stages of the Montreal race, Norris made contact with the rear of Piastri`s car while they were vying for fourth position. Norris quickly defused the situation by accepting responsibility for the incident and issuing an apology to both Piastri and the team.
Following the race, Team Principal Andrea Stella indicated that while detailed discussions would take place at the factory ahead of the upcoming Austrian Grand Prix, the incident would not alter their fundamental racing approach or the internal “papaya rules” agreed upon by the drivers.
Stella explained that allowing drivers to race freely, while having clear guidelines, is a core value of racing that the team aims to uphold. He stated that controlling racing from the pit wall whenever cars are close risks making the sport artificial. The team wants to provide Norris and Piastri with opportunities to achieve results based on their skill and performance throughout the season, rather than having their points tally dictated primarily by team management.
While acknowledging that managing this dynamic isn`t always straightforward, Stella affirmed their commitment to doing it as effectively as possible. He does not anticipate the Canadian incident leading to a change in their overall philosophy. If anything, he believes it will reinforce and strengthen the principle that the drivers must apply increased caution. Stella highlighted that avoiding contact between the two McLarens requires having sufficient margins, especially given factors like the DRS effect which can draw one car closer to another and potentially lead to misjudgments of distance.
Given McLaren`s strong performance this season, which has seen Piastri and Norris consistently at the front, the team leadership had anticipated that some form of contact between the pair was likely to happen eventually. Now that it has occurred, Stella expressed confidence that McLaren`s robust team culture will enable both the team and the drivers to learn from the events in Canada and emerge stronger.
Stella emphasized that while situations like this can feel catastrophic in the heat of the moment, the strength derived from being racers and having a strong culture means processing the incident, reviewing it, extracting positive lessons, and discarding anything that doesn`t contribute to their future racing approach. This mindset, Stella believes, is ingrained at McLaren and was evident in Norris`s handling of the situation. He added that these post-incident conversations, held when minds are clearer, will involve the entire team, solidifying their culture and helping them become a stronger unit with stronger drivers.
Accepting that further close battles are inevitable, Stella concluded that the experience in Canada will make the team and both drivers more resilient in such scenarios. When the two McLarens race in close proximity again, which is expected, better judgment regarding the distance between them will be required.
Norris`s retirement in Canada resulted in him falling 22 points behind championship leader Piastri. Despite finishing off the podium for the first time this season in Canada, McLaren maintains a significant lead in the Constructors` Championship, holding a 175-point advantage over Mercedes.
Wesley Dunham 
Gilbert Pendleton