SINGAPORE — Max Verstappen dominated the Singapore Grand Prix weekend at Marina Bay, winning both the sprint and the main race for a maximum 33 points to move up to fourth in the drivers' standings, but McLaren's internal "papaya rules" faced fresh scrutiny after teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri collided on the last lap of the sprint.
The incident occurred at Turn Five on the final lap when Norris went for a gap that complied with racing guidelines, then tried to back out as he was not left sufficient space. The two McLarens collided and both spun, with Piastri hitting the barriers and retiring and Norris dropping from fifth to eighth. What would have been nine points for the team from the sprint became one. Norris initially defended the attempt after qualifying, saying, "Really, it's still my fault, but I deserved to go for the space and I still believe I had the right for it." From a team perspective, the move was all risk and no reward, as a successful pass would have gained Norris one point and cost Piastri one with no net gain for McLaren.
Team principal Andrea Stella maintained his usual calm demeanor but made his anger clear, using words like "unacceptable," "disappointed" and "serious" when asked whether the message about team play was not getting through. Stella said he would not deviate from McLaren's policy of fairness and equal status, noting, "I classified it as unacceptable, which is a statement that comes from the team principal, but I was very encouraged by the fact that it's a statement that very rapidly came from our drivers as well." By race day Norris had changed his tone, offering to help Piastri late in the Grand Prix as the Australian tried to pass Lewis Hamilton's fading Ferrari and taking full responsibility, saying, "I can't attempt what I did. I should never have attempted it in the first place, even if the move was on. I've simply got to think more of the team that I represent rather than myself. It was a mistake on my part and I let down the team."
Verstappen's sweep headlined the weekend, with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc finishing second in the Grand Prix and championship leader Kimi Antonelli completing the podium. The result followed Verstappen's dominant Singapore victory that reshaped the standings. Stella added that the conversations with his drivers are not finished, emphasizing that the team and drivers must embrace the interest of the team as superior to any individual interest, and he praised Norris for adopting that thinking during the race.
Ferrari also faced questions over tyre strategy in Singapore, where Hamilton started the first stint on medium tyres that proved to be the wrong choice as the softs were much better. The mediums did not last long on Hamilton's car, leaving him on the back foot, while team principal Frederic Vasseur was sensitive to criticism after a trying period for the team that had prompted Ferrari to affirm his support from chairman John Elkann after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.