Lando Norris stated that he accepts responsibility for the collision with his teammate Oscar Piastri during the recent Canadian Grand Prix, saying he will “take it on the chin” and intends to “move on” from the incident that led to his retirement from the race.
This incident marked Norris`s first retirement in almost a year, occurring when he made contact with the rear of Piastri`s McLaren as they battled for fourth position.
Following the Canadian GP, Norris`s position in the championship standings has shifted significantly; what was a 23-point lead over Piastri after the Australian Grand Prix is now a 22-point deficit heading into the next race in Austria.
Speaking in New York ahead of the premiere of the F1 movie, Norris reflected on the crash:
“What happened, happened, and I regretted it at the time and apologised for it.”
“Sadly, it`s also racing. I take it on the chin and I`ve got to move on. I`ve got to look at the next race and see how I can do a better job and not make those silly mistakes at times.”
He remains optimistic, stating:
“There`s a lot of positives and I`ll make sure to look at them and build on what I`ve got because once I get into a good rhythm, I`m sure I will be very happy.”
Jenson Button: Incident is a Test for Norris
On the team radio during the race, Norris immediately described the crash as “stupid” and accepted full blame for the incident, his first collision with a teammate in F1 since his debut in 2019.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella acknowledged the crash could potentially affect Norris`s confidence but affirmed the team`s full support for the driver. 2009 F1 world champion Jenson Button commented that mistakes are expected when competing for a championship.
Button supports the competitive spirit between the teammates, stating:
“I like that we have the inter-team fight because this is the fight for the World Championship. It`s nice they are going hard.”
He emphasized the importance of seizing the moment:
“This is a moment in time for them where they have to grab the bull by the horns because you don`t know when the next chance will come, or if it will ever come, because of the regulation change.”
“They are both fighting hard for this World Championship but it happens. Lewis and myself crashed into each other 14 years ago on the same straight! It happens.”
Button concluded by framing the incident as a test:
“This is the moment whether we see Lando is in a good mental place and whether he will come out of the other side strong. I think he has in terms of being confident in his ability and putting it all out there, so I`m excited to see him move on.”
Jacques Villeneuve Sees Norris as Underdog
While Oscar Piastri currently leads the championship standings (with Max Verstappen 43 points behind and Norris 22 points behind Piastri), 1997 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve suggests Norris still possesses superior race speed. Villeneuve acknowledges Piastri`s strong form has established him as a primary contender.
According to Villeneuve:
“Now Norris knows what Piastri will do in the races. He won`t be surprised anymore.”
“He was quicker. He`s generally been quicker in the races. He just needs to figure out qualifying because that`s been up and down but he still has the edge on speed.”
Villeneuve concluded that Norris`s current points deficit makes him:
“…more the underdog, and that might help him.”
