2025 world champion goes from indignant to apologetic in 24 hours following Sprint clash with teammate.

While the Singapore stewards felt that both McLaren drivers "contributed" to their clash during Saturday's Sprint and that "neither driver was wholly or predominantly to blame for the collision", fans had their own opinion, feeling that, as was the case a week earlier when he almost took his teammate out in Sepang, Norris had made a somewhat reckless move.

This was somewhat borne out by the British driver's indignant stance in the moments after the Sprint, when, in an interview with {i]Viaplay, he was asked if the clash was "unnecessary", especially as they were fighting for fourth.

"What, to go for a big gap? Or overtake?" snapped the Briton.

"What's the title of the race?" he asked the reporter, before adding: "Sprint... what's after Sprint?"

"Race," the reporter meekly replied.

"Wow, good job!" laughed Norris. "Yeah, it's a race."

Just 24 hours later, Norris appeared to have done a 180 when asked about the incident.

"It's pretty straightforward," he said. "I can't attempt what I did. I should never have attempted it in the first place, even if the move was on.

"I simply have to think more of the team that I represent than myself," he added. "It was a mistake on my part and I let down the team.

"I've also apologised to all of them and I owe them all an apology. We'll do better next time."

The previous day, in the aftermath of the clash, team boss, Andrea Stella made his feelings quite clear. "There's no ego," said the Italian, "there's no person that is bigger than the interest of the McLaren Formula 1 team.

In the closing stages of Sunday's race, as Piastri closed on Hamilton in a bid to secure fifth-place, Norris, who had already passed the struggling Ferrari driver, offered to help his teammate by backing up the seven-time world champion, but his offer was rejected.

Someone would have told Norris that it was a "race", which means fast-forward, not backing up.

Check out our Sunday gallery from Singapore here.

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by JamesD, 4 hours ago

"And which driver hasn't said something in the heat of the moment ? Exactly, not a one."

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2. Posted by ffracer, 5 hours ago

"Think the Zak Brown/ Andrea Stella smackdown after the sprint race helped Lando's vision. "

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3. Posted by ffracer, 5 hours ago

"This article restored my faith in Lando Norris... because his brazen comments, after taking out his teammate, was worse than his brainfade in the sprint race, to be honest. I like Lando but it was 100% blame on LN4 on that one and his indignation about there being a big gap was infuriating. I'll regard it now as maybe it was a hot mic thrust in his face that the worst came out. "

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4. Posted by Chester, 11 hours ago

"I have zero issue with Lando. "

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5. Posted by kenji, 12 hours ago

"@Spindoctor.....it was 'cringeworthy'... to say the very least."

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6. Posted by Spindoctor, 14 hours ago

"Norris' insincerity in his offers to 'help' Piastri was so blatantly hypocritical, it could have been written by Bernie or Liberty...."

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A volte-face from Norris

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