Oscar Piastri confessed to feeling quietly pleased when Lando Norris crashed during the 2023 Canadian Grand Prix, a moment disclosed in his discussion with McLaren’s CEO Zak Brown. The incident occurred at round 10 of the 24-race season, as both McLaren teammates were fiercely competing for the championship.
During an overtaking attempt, Norris made contact with the rear of Piastri’s car, causing Norris to hit the barriers and retire, while Piastri continued the race largely unscathed. This outcome allowed Piastri to increase his championship lead by 22 points.
Relationship Tensions Between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
The Canadian Grand Prix collision was not the only clash between the pair. Later in the season, they collided again at the start of the United States GP Sprint, resulting in both drivers being forced out of the race. These repeated incidents highlighted the growing tension within the team.
Details of the Conversation Between Piastri and McLaren Boss Zak Brown
After the Canada crash, Norris took full responsibility, receiving a five-second penalty from race stewards, though McLaren opted against any further disciplinary measures given Norris was the one who retired. A conversation caught on camera for the “Drive to Survive” series took place just one day after the race, with Brown acknowledging Piastri’s private satisfaction at the turn of events.
Although the crash triggered a safety car and stalled Piastri’s attack on Kimi Räikkönen (not Antonelli as misreported), Piastri still managed to finish in fourth place. After apologizing on the radio, Norris left the car without injury, while Piastri avoided a puncture despite the collision’s severity.
“You’re lucky a tyre didn’t go down,”
Brown told Piastri. “It was black and white.
“I know you won’t admit it, but there’s no way, when you drove around the next lap, you didn’t go, ‘Oh, 10 more points for me.’”
With a slight smile, Piastri responded:
“Once I knew it wasn’t my fault and that he was fine, then yes.”
Reactions from Rival Team Leaders About the McLaren Collision
The crash also drew commentary from prominent figures in Formula 1. Christian Horner, the former Red Bull team principal, considered the crash inevitable but criticized Norris for breaking the fundamental rule among teammates not to collide.
“That’s been coming for many races,”
Horner stated.
“I’m surprised it’s got to Canada before they made contact. Every team has the golden rule, ‘Don’t hit your teammate.’”
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff reflected on his experience managing past rivalries between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, confident he could have prevented McLaren’s clash if present in the pit wall during Montreal.
“Tactics, now. There’s the lesson for them to learn that we knew before. We would have stopped that. We would have said ‘no contact’.”
Aftermath Within McLaren Following Team Collisions
The fallout from these incidents affected internal team dynamics. Norris’s contact with Piastri during the Singapore GP overtake led to consequences, including his demotion to second driver status during qualifying sessions. However, when Piastri was assigned the main blame for a later collision in the Austin Sprint, the earlier repercussions against Norris were lifted.
The tensions and consequences of these on-track clashes illustrate the delicate balance McLaren faces with their two promising drivers as they pursue success in a highly competitive F1 season.
