Lando Norris’s McLaren sustained damage following a collision with teammate Oscar Piastri at the Canadian Grand Prix.
McLaren teammates and title rivals Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri clashed for the first time, with Norris seemingly misjudging an overtaking maneuver during the Canadian Grand Prix.
With four laps remaining, Norris collided with the rear of Piastri’s car on the pit straight. This incident unfolded as George Russell secured Mercedes’ first race win of the season with a controlled performance.
Norris, attempting to overtake Piastri for fourth place, radioed his team, accepting full responsibility and admitting the error was “stupid.”
Substantial front suspension damage forced Norris’ retirement. The race concluded under a safety car, with Piastri finishing fourth behind Russell, Max Verstappen (Red Bull), and Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes).
Red Bull subsequently lodged a protest concerning Russell’s driving under the safety car.
Piastri’s championship lead over Norris expanded to 22 points; Verstappen trails Norris by 21 points.
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The potentially pivotal moment occurred at the beginning of lap 67 of the 70-lap race.
Norris executed a strong race, employing an inverted strategy—starting on hard tires from seventh—to challenge for a podium position alongside Antonelli and Piastri.
Within a second of Piastri for several laps, Norris utilized DRS to overtake his teammate at the hairpin for fourth place on lap 66.
Piastri countered, and they raced side-by-side down the back straight, with Piastri holding the inside line.
Approaching the final corner, Norris braked earlier than Piastri, aiming for a faster chicane exit and an overtaking opportunity into the first corner.
However, Piastri maintained his line, resulting in Norris’s right-front wheel and front wing colliding with the rear of Piastri’s McLaren.
Norris’s race ended due to front suspension damage; Piastri continued, leading the field to the finish under the safety car.
Norris’s engineer, Will Joseph, confirmed Norris’s wellbeing before receiving the apology and admission of fault from the driver.
The incident evoked memories of the 2011 Canadian Grand Prix, where Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button collided in a similar location. However, this incident differed significantly in its circumstances.
With 14 races remaining, this setback is not insurmountable for Norris’s title aspirations, yet it significantly complicates his prospects against a teammate who has generally outperformed him this season.
Russell celebrated his first Grand Prix victory since November’s Las Vegas race.
The incident between the title contenders overshadowed Russell’s and Mercedes’ strong performance, converting Saturday’s pole position into a commanding victory.
Russell maintained a comfortable lead over Verstappen from the start. The lead reached a maximum of 5.2 seconds before Verstappen’s second pit stop. Though Verstappen closed the gap late in the race, Russell successfully pulled away again.
Antonelli’s race was more challenging. His skillful early overtaking of Piastri provided him with a crucial advantage.
McLaren extended Piastri’s pit stops relative to Antonelli, giving him a tire advantage in the final stint. Piastri’s late challenge on Antonelli allowed Norris to close the gap, diverting Piastri’s focus until the collision.
This marked Antonelli’s first F1 podium finish.
Ferrari lagged behind the top teams, with Charles Leclerc finishing fifth ahead of Lewis Hamilton, whose race suffered after hitting a groundhog, impacting his car’s downforce.
Leclerc voiced concerns regarding the team’s strategy.
Like Norris, he began on hard tires and ran a long first stint, requesting a one-stop strategy, which the team didn’t adopt. This resulted in a two-stop strategy, hindering his position.
Fernando Alonso secured points for Aston Martin, finishing seventh, following his strong qualifying performance.
Alonso finished ahead of Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber), while Esteban Ocon (Haas) and Carlos Sainz (Williams) demonstrated the feasibility of a one-stop strategy, securing ninth and tenth respectively.
Drivers’ championship standings
Constructors’ championship standings
The Formula 1 circus moves to Europe for the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring from June 27-29. Last year’s race saw Russell victorious after a collision between Norris and Verstappen while vying for the lead.
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