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McLaren's Lando Norris discusses blunder at Canadian Grand Prix
McLaren driver Lando Norris (4) during the F1 Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. David Kirouac-Imagn Images

McLaren's Lando Norris discusses blunder at Canadian Grand Prix

McLaren driver Lando Norris' mistake late in Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix could have championship implications later this season. 

With three laps to go in the 70-lap race, Norris and McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri were chasing Mercedes AMG driver Kimi Antonelli, who was in third. Norris attempted to pass Piastri, but he hit his teammate's left rear wheel, damaged his front wing, hit the pit wall and totaled his car.

The accident brought out the safety car for the final laps, giving Mercedes AMG driver George Russell the win. Piastri, meanwhile, finished in fourth, behind Antonelli and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

Norris immediately took the blame for the accident, saying, "It's all my bad. All my fault," on his radio.

He clearly felt sheepish in an interview after the race as well. 

"McLaren is my family, I race for them," the 25-year-old driver said, per ESPN's Nate Saunders. "Every single weekend, I try and do well for them, more than I often try and do well for myself. So when I let them down like this, and when I make a fool of myself in a moment like today, yeah, I have a lot of regret in something like that."

"I'm not proud of that, and I feel bad and I feel like I let down my team. And that's always the worst feeling. Of course, I only really need to apologize to all of them and Oscar as well."

Following the race, Verstappen and Russell are closing the gap in the drivers' championship. Verstappen now trails Piastri (198 points) by 43 points, while Russell trails by 62. Norris is second in the drivers' championship with 176 points.

McLaren's top drivers still have the edge. However, if their rivals continue to gain momentum, Sunday's race will be viewed as a turning point in the season, making Norris' mistake even more consequential.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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