PALMER: Was Norris’ Lap 1 move on Piastri unfair – and should McLaren have intervened?

Former Renault F1 driver Jolyon Palmer analyses whether Oscar Piastri's complaints were justified, and whether McLaren should have intervened to keep things fair between their two drivers.

Former F1 DriverJolyon Palmer
SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE - OCTOBER 05: Oscar Piastri of Australia driving the (81) McLaren MCL39

Singapore provided another contentious intra-team McLaren moment, as Lando Norris overtook Oscar Piastri in the opening corners of the race, with the help of a bit of contact. It was a race where you could sense the Australian’s growing frustrations, as he again had his championship lead nibbled.

There are two aspects to this: the stewarding side, and the team side – and it’s the latter where Piastri’s frustrations lie.

Technically speaking, this wasn’t a move that was penalty-worthy from Norris. I liked the attempt. It was punchy, gutsy and quite simply had to be attempted by a driver looking to boost his hopes of winning the title after a difficult Qualifying session.