McLaren’s intra-team championship fight heats up after dramatic Singapore GP

McLaren’s pit wall chose not to swap the positions, explaining that Norris had been avoiding Verstappen ahead. Piastri was unconvinced, adding that the move “wasn’t very team-like.”

“So are we cool with Lando just barging me out of the way or? What’s the go there?," he said, via Sky Sports. "That’s not fair. If he has to avoid another car by crashing into his teammate, that’s a pretty ---- job of avoiding.”

The stewards deemed the clash a racing incident, but the damage, at least to the team dynamic, may have already been done. Piastri has yielded to Norris in the past to preserve harmony within the garage, but that may now change with the title fight entering its decisive phase.

"I mean it was slippery, it was still wet in a lot of places,” said Norris post-race, via formula1.com. “It’s racing. I put it on the inside, I had a small correction, but nothing more than that. It was good racing.”

For much of the season, McLaren’s intra-team rivalry has been respectful, defined by mutual admiration and near-identical performances. 

Yet as the Drivers’ Championship tightens, cracks are beginning to appear. Piastri now leads Norris by 22 points with six rounds remaining, and with the Constructors’ crown secured, McLaren no longer has team objectives to shield its drivers from direct competition.

The incident will be reviewed internally. McLaren’s so-called “Papaya Rules” have never been made public, though it’s understood that any contact between teammates is strictly prohibited.

Still, history suggests such rivalries rarely stay contained. Comparisons to Hamilton–Rosberg are easy to make, and McLaren’s leadership faces a delicate balancing act between maintaining harmony and allowing competition to unfold naturally.

If Singapore proved anything, it’s that McLaren’s biggest threat may no longer come from Red Bull or Mercedes, but from within its own garage.