Martin Brundle has delivered a blunt assessment of the McLaren intra-team collision in the Singapore Grand Prix Sprint, stating the team will be “pretty upset” at the unnecessary loss of constructors’ championship points. The Sky Sports pundit and former Formula 1 driver argued that Lando Norris’s late lunge on Oscar Piastri simply was not worth the risk in the context of the battle with Red Bull.
The incident, which occurred on the final lap of the 20-lap Sprint, left Piastri in the barriers and Norris recovering only to eighth.
### BRUNDLE: THE MOVE WAS NOT NECESSARY
Norris attempted to pass Piastri for fourth into Turn 5 on the last lap. Contact followed, spinning the Australian out of the race while Norris continued and collected the final point available. From a team perspective the outcome was damaging on multiple levels.
“I think the team will be pretty upset that they ended up meeting in the middle at Turn 5 on the last lap of the sprint when they are in a big fight in the constructors’ championship with Red Bull,” Brundle said on Sky Sports F1. “They were outscoring Red Bull in that race.
“It just wasn’t really necessary. It doesn’t really matter what the rules are, they didn’t need to make contact there. It’s difficult. They can’t afford the parts, they can’t afford the points and now they are up in the stewards’ office which will destabilise their preparation. No doubt there’ll be some broken bits on both cars as well.
“It just wasn’t worth the risk. But they are racers, they are hard-wired to do that.”
### THE CONSTRUCTORS’ CONTEXT MAKES THE ERROR COSTLIER
Brundle’s emphasis on the constructors’ championship is significant. After Max Verstappen’s Sprint victory, Red Bull closed to within 11 points of third-placed McLaren. In a season where every point carries weight in the battle for position and the substantial prize money that follows, an avoidable collision between team-mates represents a self-inflicted setback.
McLaren had been in a position to extend or at least protect their advantage. Instead the team left Singapore’s Sprint with damaged cars, a stewards’ investigation, and a reduced points haul.
### NORRIS STANDS BY THE ATTEMPT
Norris continued to defend the principle of the move even while acknowledging the outcome was not what he wanted. He described a “big opportunity” into Turn 5 and insisted he had the right to take it when the gap appeared. The stewards’ summons means the single point he scored remains under threat pending their decision.
Piastri, by contrast, played down the personal significance of finishing fourth or fifth in a Sprint while noting the extra workload the contact created for the team.
### RACER INSTINCT VERSUS TEAM RESPONSIBILITY
Brundle’s closing observation captures the perennial tension inside any multi-car Formula 1 team. Drivers are conditioned to attack gaps and maximise their own position. Team principals and sporting directors must weigh those instincts against the collective interest, particularly when the mathematical difference between the two cars is small and the potential downside is large.
In this case the downside included immediate repair demands, a possible penalty, lost constructors’ points and a distraction on a weekend when preparation time is already compressed by the Sprint format.
### WHAT MCLAREN MUST ADDRESS NEXT
The incident will force another internal review of racing guidelines between Norris and Piastri. McLaren have managed the relationship carefully in recent seasons, but high-profile contact inevitably reopens the discussion about how much freedom the pair should be given when running in close proximity.
With Red Bull now firmly in the constructors’ fight and the second half of the season still offering significant points, McLaren can ill afford further self-inflicted losses. Brundle’s verdict was clear: the move was understandable from a pure racing perspective and unjustifiable from a team one. Balancing those two realities will define how McLaren handle the remainder of the campaign.
