FIA summon McLaren F1 stars Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri over C… read more
The FIA has summoned McLaren Formula 1 drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri following their dramatic collision during the final stages of the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix. The incident, which ultimately brought out a race-ending safety car, occurred when Norris attempted an overtake on his teammate and title rival, only to misjudge the move and make contact. Norris had been steadily closing the gap to Piastri over several laps, staying within DRS range and seemingly biding his time to attempt a decisive maneuver. The two McLaren drivers had been running strong in the points, with Piastri ahead but both contending for a potential podium finish. As the race neared its conclusion, Norris saw an opportunity and tried to capitalize by darting up the left-hand side of Piastri’s car. However, his attempt to utilize the DRS advantage went awry. Norris misjudged his braking point and the spatial gap, running the front wing of his MCL38 into the rear of Piastri’s car. The contact caused significant damage to Norris’s front end and forced him to retire from the race, while Piastri managed to limp home with minor damage. The crash also triggered a full safety car period, which neutralized the race and ensured no further overtaking could take place in the final laps. Both drivers have since been summoned by the FIA stewards to explain their roles in the collision. In an unusual twist, each driver is being investigated under Article 2d of Appendix L of the FIA International Sporting Code for “causing a collision.” The hearing is scheduled to take place on Sunday evening, with both Norris and Piastri required to present their perspectives and any data from their respective teams. While intra-team battles are a natural part of Formula 1, the McLaren garage will be disappointed to have seen such a costly clash between its own drivers—especially in a race where they had been running competitively against the likes of Ferrari and Mercedes. Tensions may be high within the team, which has managed to bring itself back into regular podium contention in recent seasons. This incident could force team principal Andrea Stella to reconsider allowing free racing between his drivers in future events. Adding to the unusual atmosphere around the stewarding panel this weekend was the sudden suspension of regular driver steward Derek Warwick. The FIA announced that Warwick was removed from his duties for the remainder of the Canadian Grand Prix following unauthorized media comments. In a statement, the FIA said: “Following recent unauthorised media comments, the FIA has taken the decision to suspend Derek Warwick from his duties as driver steward for this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix.” The decision appears to stem from comments Warwick made to a media outlet earlier in the weekend that the FIA felt compromised his impartiality. Former Formula 1 driver Enrique Bernoldi has been appointed as his replacement and is officiating remotely from the FIA’s Remote Operations Centre in Geneva. The governing body added that Warwick acknowledged his remarks were “ill-advised” and has since apologized. He is expected to return to his stewarding duties at the Austrian Grand Prix later this month. With the stewarding panel reshuffled and tensions running high in the McLaren camp, all eyes will be on the outcome of the investigation and whether it results in penalties or further internal team orders going forward. The outcome could also influence the championship standings, with both Norris and Piastri firmly in the mix this season. It remains to be seen whether the FIA will consider the collision a racing incident, assign blame to one party, or penalize both for their roles in what has become one of the more controversial moments of the 2025 season so far.
