Don’t give up any position, fight to the end! Lewis Hamilton caused a stir with his fiery advice to Oscar Piastri after Norris’ chaotic collision left both McLaren and the FIA at loggerheads at Marina Bay Street.
The lights went out at Singapore’s Marina Bay Street Circuit on Sunday, October 5, 2025, and what followed was a start that set the Formula 1 world on fire. McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, teammates in a fierce battle for the world title, collided on the first lap. Norris, starting from fifth position, aggressively moved up to third. In a tight corner he first touched the rear of Max Verstappen’s Red Bull, which led to minor damage to his front wing. But the real drama unfolded at Turn 3: Norris pushed Piastri, the current championship leader, wide onto the track, almost into the wall. Piastri, who had started from pole, lost valuable positions and eventually finished fourth, while Norris crossed the line in third.
The Australian was seething with anger over the team radio. “That’s not fair. If he has to avoid another car by crashing into his teammate, that’s a shit job of dodging,” Piastri snapped at his engineer. McLaren chose not to intervene; the stewards saw it as a ‘normal racing incident’ and imposed no penalty. Team leader Andrea Stella later admitted that a “detailed review” was needed to maintain the drivers’ confidence. “We will discuss it together with the drivers, just like after the collision in Canada,” he said. That earlier clash in Montreal had ended more mildly, with Norris taking the blame. But in Singapore, Piastri felt let down, especially as McLaren’s ‘Papaya rules’ – which ban contact between teammates – were not enforced.
This collision was not an isolated incident in a season full of internal tensions at McLaren. Already in September, during the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, the team had asked Piastri to give a position back to Norris. The Briton had suffered a slow pit stop due to a team error, which allowed Piastri to pass him. Despite Piastri’s protests, he complied with the order, in the interests of fairness. “Whoever is in front determines who stops first,” Norris had previously said about the pit strategy. But in Singapore the dynamic reversed: Piastri’s frustration grew when the team failed to appeal to Norris. “We are still assessing it, focus on what you can do,” he heard over the radio. Piastri’s response was telling: he turned off his radio, a silent rebellion.
Despite the hassle, Singapore was a milestone for McLaren. Norris’ podium and Piastri’s fourth place earned enough points to clinch the Constructors’ Title – the second in a row, a feat not seen since the early 1990s. Back in Woking, the drivers celebrated the success, but the underlying rivalry continues to brew. Piastri leads Norris in the Drivers’ Championship by 22 points with six races remaining, including three sprints. Max Verstappen, 63 points behind, is looking for opportunities at Red Bull. “We understand the car better and have improved,” the Dutchman said after the race.
It was precisely in this tense context that Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time world champion, entered the conversation. The Briton, who had an explosive rivalry with Fernando Alonso at McLaren in 2007, gave Piastri fervent advice before the race. “Don’t give up any position, fight to the end!” was his core message, often summarized as “Don’t give back any more positions.” Hamilton, now at Ferrari, drew from his own experience. “I’ve been through that. It’s not his first championship fight; he knows what’s at stake,” he told the press, laughing. “I haven’t spoken to him so I don’t know what mindset he’s in, but that’s what I would say.”
Piastri responded positively to the advice, which reached him post-race. “He’s been through that several times, so I’ll take the advice,” the 24-year-old Australian smiled. It was a moment of recognition between two generations, but also an incentive for McLaren. Former Haas team boss Guenther Steiner warned: “They have to support one driver not to lose everything in Abu Dhabi. Piastri is the most vulnerable to Verstappen.” Martin Brundle, Sky Sports commentator, added: “The ground rules have changed. This incident has shifted the dynamic.”
The FIA, which has long kept the sport at odds with McLaren due to previous team order discussions, remained neutral. No investigation into the clash, but the federation is closely monitoring the rivalry. Jenson Button, ex-McLaren driver, defended Norris: “It’s racing. He was side by side, had a tap with Verstappen and oversteer. Not intentionally.” Yet Piastri feels wronged. “I have to analyze it and learn lessons,” he said afterwards, absent from the title celebration due to media obligations.
With the Constructors’ Title secured, the focus shifts to the drivers. McLaren’s Zak Brown emphasized unity: “We let them race, but without chaos.” But Hamilton’s words echo: in a title fight, every meter counts. Piastri, with seven wins this season, cannot afford to make a mistake. Norris, hungry for his first title, will push harder. And Verstappen? He waits patiently, like Kimi Räikkönen did in 2007 with an epic comeback against… Hamilton himself.
This saga on Marina Bay Street recalls the essence of Formula 1: glory and intrigue, brotherhood and betrayal. As the lights of Singapore dim, the battle rages on. Piastri’s lead is fragile, Norris’ ambition unstoppable, and Hamilton’s advice a warning to many. Fight to the end – because in F1 you don’t give anything away.
