Overview

• McLaren sealed the team championship in Singapore with Lando Norris third and Oscar Piastri fourth, behind race winner George Russell and runner-up Max Verstappen.
• On lap one Norris clipped Verstappen and then touched Piastri, prompting Piastri to demand a position swap that the pit wall declined and stewards did not pursue.
• Team principal Andrea Stella ordered mediated talks between the drivers, while the team clarified a viral video by saying Piastri had already switched off his car during Zak Brown’s remarks.
• Piastri remains atop the drivers’ standings with Norris 22 points behind, as Verstappen’s recent wins in Monza and Baku and second in Singapore narrow his deficit.
• A three-race win drought, reduced in-season development and limited wind‑tunnel time leave McLaren balancing performance risks as its internal ‘Papaya’ code comes under scrutiny.