Andrea Stella, the team principal of McLaren, has openly acknowledged that the collision between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri during the recent Canadian Grand Prix was “not acceptable.” This incident resulted in Norris retiring from the race, which Stella noted ultimately affected Norris’s standing in the championship. As the race neared its conclusion, Norris was in pursuit of Piastri, battling for a coveted fourth place. Initially, Norris succeeded in overtaking Piastri at the hairpin, but Piastri quickly regained his position. In a subsequent attempt to pass on the straight, Norris collided with the back of his teammate's car.
This unfortunate contact forced Norris to exit the track and retire from the race, while Piastri managed to continue on and secured fourth place after making a pit stop during the following Safety Car period. Following the incident, Norris expressed his regret, acknowledging his “misjudgement” and accepting responsibility for the crash. He was also penalized by the race stewards with a five-second penalty for being at fault in the incident.
During the post-race analysis on F1 TV, Stella reflected on the collision, stating, “We never want to see a McLaren car involved in an accident and definitely do not want to see two McLarens having contact. This situation is something we know is not acceptable.” He praised Norris for taking immediate responsibility for the incident and apologizing to the team, which Stella believes helped reset the situation. “I’m sure he has an important learning point coming from this race, as he paid a price in the championship,” he added.
While McLaren has always maintained a clear set of “papaya rules” regarding driver conduct, Stella was questioned on whether this incident might lead to changes in their approach moving forward. He clarified, “It doesn’t change things because it’s a misjudgement. It’s not like the driver had an intent that went against our principles; it was simply a miscalculation of the proximity to the car ahead.” He emphasized that if Norris had reacted differently, more serious discussions would have been necessary. However, Stella believed that Norris quickly recognized his error, which caused issues not only for himself but also for the team and was close to creating a problem for Piastri as well.
Meanwhile, McLaren CEO Zak Brown commended Norris for his transparency regarding his mistake. He took to social media to share his thoughts on the race in Montreal, where George Russell and Kimi Antonelli achieved a 1-3 finish for Mercedes, while Max Verstappen from Red Bull secured second place. Brown celebrated the accomplishments of the Mercedes team, stating, “Congrats Mercedes and Kimi on that first podium. Great stops from the team, with fast cars and drivers. And so, it happened. Appreciate the candor, Lando. Solid race, Oscar. We learn. We go again together.”
