McLaren is sticking with its decision to let Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri race each other freely for the Formula 1 title

McLaren is sticking with its decision to let Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri race each other freely for the Formula 1 title  despite their late collision at the Canadian Grand Prix. The incident happened just three laps from the end as Norris attempted to overtake Piastri for fourth. Instead, he hit the back of his teammate’s car, causing damage and ending his own race without points. Piastri managed to continue and extended his lead over Norris to 22 points in the driver standings.

Team principal Andrea Stella confirmed that the incident would lead to serious internal discussions. However, he emphasized McLaren’s commitment to letting both drivers compete without team orders. "It’s a value of racing we want to respect," Stella said. He stressed the team’s belief in fair and equal competition, aiming to let results reflect the drivers’ true performance rather than team-imposed strategies.

Despite the incident, Stella said McLaren would not change its policy. Instead, they expect their drivers to be more cautious when battling each other. He appreciated Norris taking full responsibility and said the collision appeared to be a misjudgement rather than any aggressive move. McLaren wants the principles of clean, fair racing to be strengthened not abandoned.

With 14 races still to go in the season, Stella emphasized the team’s full backing for Norris. He acknowledged that Norris may feel emotionally affected by the mistake but believes the Briton can grow stronger from the experience. Piastri’s current form, with five wins out of ten races, puts him ahead in the title race. McLaren hopes both drivers can reach the end of the season with every opportunity to win, maintaining parity and avoiding future collisions.

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After the dramatic clash in Canada, McLaren is offering full support to Lando Norris as the team regroups ahead of the next race. Team boss Andrea Stella underlined that Norris remains a key part of McLaren’s title ambitions, despite crashing into teammate Oscar Piastri during a fight for fourth place. The British driver has openly taken responsibility for the incident and is known for being self-critical. Stella acknowledged that such moments can hurt a driver’s confidence, especially in the heat of a championship battle.

“On this one, I want to be completely clear: it’s full support to Lando,” Stella said. He added that while internal discussions may be “tough,” the team’s faith in Norris hasn’t wavered. The expectation is that the 24-year-old will learn from the experience and use it to become even stronger in the title race. McLaren believes both drivers are capable of winning and wants to ensure they both have the opportunity to do so.

While Piastri’s win tally stands at five compared to Norris’ two, the season is far from over. Fourteen races remain, and McLaren intends to avoid imposing team orders unless absolutely necessary. Stella reiterated that both drivers are still free to race  but with an increased need for awareness and responsibility when going wheel-to-wheel.

He also emphasized that the clash wasn’t born out of recklessness, but rather a simple miscalculation. Stella praised Norris for owning up to the error and noted that the team would work with both drivers to avoid similar incidents in the future. The goal remains unchanged: let talent speak on the track, keep the team united, and fight for both drivers to finish the season in title contention. McLaren next heads to Austria on June 29.