By Rohith Nair
SINGAPORE, Oct 10 (Reuters) – World champion Lando Norris apologised to his McLaren team after a final-lap collision with team mate Oscar Piastri wrecked their pursuit of a podium finish at a chaotic Singapore Grand Prix sprint on Saturday.
The McLaren duo were chasing Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who was struggling with his tyres in the dying stages of the 20-lap sprint, when disaster struck on the final lap.
Norris, running fifth behind Piastri in fourth, attempted to overtake his team mate but clipped the Australian’s rear tyre with his front wheel, sending both cars spinning and handing Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli fourth place.
“Sorry about that. Obviously I didn’t want that to happen but I thought I was fully alongside. I just ran out of space at the apex but I was there,” Norris said over the team radio.
While Norris limped home to eighth place to claim the final point available, Piastri was forced to retire as he became one of nine cars that did not finish – a record number of retirements for a Formula One sprint race.
“I’d rather just go back and review it,” Norris told Sky Sports.
“I apologised to them that one of the cars is out but, like I said, the rest of it we’ll go review.”
Piastri said he had not seen the incident properly to comment but downplayed its significance as they were not in high points scoring positions.
“From where I sit, it’s for fourth and fifth for a sprint race, so I’m not that bothered either way,” Piastri said.
“Just obviously it’s a lot of work now for the team to get both cars fixed (ahead of qualifying for Sunday’s race). Just a shame for the team.”
Both McLaren drivers were summoned to the stewards after the collision.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the sprint and the Dutchman leapfrogged Norris to climb to fifth in the world championship standings.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Singapore, editing by Ed Osmond)
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