A risky start: Norris clips Verstappen and Piastri

Starting from fifth on the grid, Norris launched perfectly. He quickly got past the Mercedes of Andrea Kimi Antonelli and went for the inside line at Turn 1 to challenge Oscar Piastri, who had started from third.

But the move was on the edge of disaster. In Turn 3, Norris tried to squeeze past on the inside and clipped the rear of Max Verstappen’s Red Bull, which in turn caused a wheel-to-wheel clash with his own teammate. The outcome: front wing damage to Norris’ #4 McLaren and a flurry of heated radio messages.

Despite the contact, Norris managed to snatch third place from Piastri, a move that divided opinions both inside the paddock and among fans.

Piastri’s fury: “That wasn’t fair!”

Moments after the incident, Piastri voiced his anger over team radio, he shouted at his race engineer, Tom Stallard, demanding that the team take action.

The reply was cold and concise:
"As a team, we saw Lando had to avoid Verstappen. We won’t take any action during the race."

Tension between the two McLaren drivers skyrocketed in a matter of seconds. The team decided not to interfere and promised to review the situation after the race. Meanwhile, Piastri was left to focus on regaining pace and avoiding further trouble.

Stewards’ verdict: no penalties

Race Control took note of the lap-one incident but, after reviewing the onboard footage and telemetry, concluded that no sanctions were necessary. The official report classified the collision as a “racing incident,” meaning both drivers escaped penalty.

However, peace was far from restored inside the McLaren garage. Piastri’s expression upon returning to the pits said it all —he was clearly dissatisfied with how the team handled the situation. Norris, for his part, kept quiet and focused on defending his position against Verstappen.

McLaren on edge: internal tension in the title fight

The episode couldn’t have come at a worse time for McLaren. With both drivers locked in a fierce championship battle and separated by mere tenths in the standings, every move counts —and every touch could decide the season’s fate.

While Norris held onto his podium position, Piastri ended the race visibly frustrated, aware that this rivalry is starting to go beyond the track.

The British team now faces a delicate balancing act: keeping both drivers competitive without letting their rivalry turn into open warfare.