Any consequences for Lando Norris as a result of the Singapore Grand Prix have been removed by McLaren after the team concluded that Oscar Piastri bore some responsibility for the crash at the start of the sprint in the United States GP.
Norris was cited for the way he raced his teammate in Singapore, with consequences that would have lasted until the end of this season. However, after the two drivers collided at the start of the sprint at the Circuit of The Americas when Piastri attempted a backflip move at Turn 1 – leading to initial contact with Nico Hulkenberg – the Australian admits the situation has now been levelled.
“We went through it again – normally we go through it every weekend no matter what happened,” Piastri said. “I think there is a certain amount of responsibility on my part in the sprint. And we start this weekend with a clean slate for both of us. So yeah, just go out there and race, and see who can come out on top.”
“Yes, the consequences on Lando’s side have been removed. And yes, in the end it was.” [move at the start]. Many factors played a role, but yes, in the end that was decided.”
Piastri insists the fallout and outcomes of various incidents are not putting any additional pressure on the McLaren drivers, and similarly he is not letting Max Verstappen’s recent wins impact his approach to racing in the closing stages of the season.
“Obviously the gap has closed a bit in the last few races, but for me the focus has always been on trying to go as fast as possible and get the most out of every weekend,” said Piastri. “We’ve done that on some weekends, but certainly not on some. That’s really all I focus on and I think if I do a good enough job at it every weekend, it doesn’t really matter what the picture looks like.
“Both [leading and chasing] have their positive and negative sides. Obviously everyone loves a good underdog story and trying to come back is sometimes a bit easier, but I’d rather be in the lead in the championship than be in a different position.
“I’ve always said I like that because it usually means you’re doing something well. I think we’ve done a lot of things well over the course of the season and there are some things we can do even better.”
#Piastri #clean #slate #McLaren #USGP #RACER