Lando Norris has vowed to make “better decisions” going forward after further talks with McLaren over his collision with teammate Oscar Piastri in Singapore.
Norris made a clumsy move on Piastri on the final lap of the sprint race at Marina Bay, spinning both McLarens around and costing the team eight points.
The reigning world champion was initially flippant and sarcastic to media when asked about the incident, but following talks with McLaren team boss Andrea Stella and CEO Zak Brown, he rowed that back and accepted blame.
The team held further meetings in the week between Singapore and this weekend’s U.S. Grand Prix and Norris has said he will strive to improve going forward.
“I take responsibility for my mistakes, and I learn from them,” Norris said in McLaren’s preview for the upcoming Austin race.
“This team is my motivation every weekend, and my aim is to repay the hard work everyone puts in by improving, making better decisions, and representing the team in the best possible way.”
McLaren’s rules of engagement between its drivers has been a recurring talking point over the past few seasons of Formula 1.
The team dubbed it ‘Papaya Rules’ after Piastri and Norris nearly collided at the 2024 Italian Grand Prix and the issue rumbled through into the following season as they became title rivals.
That season had two notable flashpoints involving contact: Norris drove into the back of Piastri at last year’s Canadian Grand Prix, while Piastri was held accountable for an incident at the start of the sprint at the U.S. Grand Prix 12 months ago which took both cars out of the race.
McLaren has been unable to replicate last year’s championship winning form, with just two wins so far -- both via Norris, in Hungary and the Netherlands either side of the August summer break.