Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have confirmed that McLaren`s team rules of engagement remain unchanged following their collision at the Canadian Grand Prix, stating that discussions on the matter were productive.
Norris, currently 22 points behind Piastri in the Drivers` Championship ahead of this weekend`s Austrian Grand Prix, collided with his teammate in Montreal, forcing him to retire from the race.
Team principal Andrea Stella expressed his desire for “better judgment” from his drivers after the incident.
Norris clarified that there has been a thorough understanding of the situation, acknowledging his misjudgment and explaining it to the team. He immediately took responsibility for the incident, admitting he misjudged it. While the conversations weren`t easy, they were crucial, as they pertained not only to his personal error but also to the team`s overall performance. He emphasized that “rule number one” has always been and will continue to be the paramount principle. According to Norris, despite the unfortunate circumstances, the team has learned a great deal, and many aspects have emerged stronger than before Canada.
Piastri, whose streak of eight consecutive podium finishes ended in Montreal with a fourth-place finish, stated that he and Norris are “still free to race” and will “ensure” that such collisions do not happen again. He added, “I don`t think it will change anything. For my part, I certainly won`t do anything differently. If Lando decides to do something differently, that`s for him to answer, but I don`t anticipate any changes. We still have a long season ahead of us. I believe it`s going to be a close battle for the remainder of the year.”
Norris promptly took responsibility for the incident with Piastri, believing his accountability “set a good example” for McLaren. He emphasized, “My team means everything to me – the people I`ve grown up with, those who gave me the opportunity in Formula 1, and I want to win with McLaren. The fact that it happened with my teammate was the most painful thing for me because it`s the last thing I ever want. I felt terrible, truly terrible for the team. It was a tough couple of days, but I`ve learned to cope with it better, speaking with Andrea and Zak [Brown], and the team, to move on as quickly as possible, which was extremely important.”
McLaren`s Austrian GP Outlook: Norris Anticipates Qualifying Challenges, Piastri Confirms Upgrades
Even without the collision, Piastri and Norris were not on course for a podium finish in Canada—marking the first time this season a McLaren driver missed the top three. The British driver noted that “some of our main competitors have caught up” in the hot conditions, with warm weather also forecast for the Austrian Grand Prix.
Norris, who secured his maiden F1 podium in Spielberg, stated: “Austria has historically been one of our strongest tracks, but it`s also been very favorable for Red Bull and Max. They hold an advantage over us in high-speed corners, which are plentiful here. Therefore, while we expect to perform well, we might face some challenges in qualifying compared to certain rivals.”
In Montreal, Piastri and Norris utilized different front suspension setups, with the Australian opting for the older specification. Both Ferrari and Red Bull have confirmed upgrades for this weekend, and McLaren, current leaders in the Constructors` Championship, will also introduce improvements.
Piastri commented: “We were somewhat surprised not to be as strong as we`d hoped in Canada, but hopefully, that was an isolated incident. By the time of qualifying, I believe we were in a better position, and our race pace was actually decent; we just qualified a bit further back. I think we largely understand what went wrong in Canada. So, we`ll aim for a better weekend here, and I`m confident we`ll return to top form.” He added, “Yes, we do have some new parts. I think they are some components for the front of the car, and hopefully, they will make us quicker. That`s usually the plan.”
Austrian Grand Prix Schedule
Friday, June 27
- 8:50 AM: F3 Practice
- 10:00 AM: F2 Practice
- 12:00 PM: Austrian GP Practice One (session starts at 12:30 PM)
- 1:55 PM: F3 Qualifying
- 2:50 PM: F2 Qualifying
- 3:35 PM: Austrian GP Practice Two (session starts at 4:00 PM)
- 5:15 PM: The F1 Show
Saturday, June 28
- 9:00 AM: F3 Sprint Race
- 11:15 AM: Austrian GP Practice Three (session starts at 11:30 AM)
- 1:10 PM: F2 Sprint Race
- 2:15 PM: Austrian GP Qualifying Build-up
- 3:00 PM: AUSTRIAN GP QUALIFYING
- 5:00 PM: Ted`s Qualifying Notebook
Sunday, June 29
- 7:25 AM: F3 Feature Race
- 8:55 AM: F2 Feature Race
- 10:40 AM: Porsche Supercup
- 12:30 PM: Grand Prix Sunday: Austrian GP Build-up
- 2:00 PM: THE AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX
- 4:00 PM: Chequered Flag: Austrian GP Reaction
- 5:00 PM: Ted`s Notebook
The 2025 Formula 1 season continues with the Austrian Grand Prix in Europe this weekend.
