Try GOLD - Free
How Norris's daring move ignited a friendly title race
The Independent
|October 07, 2025
After faint sparkles in the past 17 races, the dense humidity of the Singapore night sky was where this season's touchpaper was finally lit.
-
Posing with the hundred or so team members in front of the McLaren garage, celebrating their inevitable constructors’ triumph, you wonder what emotions were running through the head of Oscar Piastri. For a man whose best quality is his serenity in the heat of battle, Piastri boiled over underneath his visor at Marina Bay. Prodded offline at turn three by teammate and title rival Lando Norris on lap one, the Australian vented his feelings over team radio to Tom Stallard, race engineer and former Olympic rower.
“So are we cool with Lando just barging me out of the way? What’s the go-to there?” Piastri queried. Cue panic on the faces of team principal Andrea Stella and CEO Zak Brown on the pit wall. When informed that no intervention would occur, he was apoplectic: “That is not fair. I’m sorry, that is not fair.”
Stallard replied: “Oscar, we will have the opportunity to review together afterwards - focus on this race, mate. We can still get a good result here.” But Piastri was having none of it: “But if he [Norris] has to avoid another car by crashing into his teammate, then that is a pretty shit job of avoiding.”
This story is from the October 07, 2025 edition of The Independent.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM The Independent
The Independent
A tourism tax will give our museums a shot in the arm
From Toronto to Kyoto, from Barcelona to New York City, overnight hotel levies are now the norm for visiting tourists.
3 mins
March 10, 2026
The Independent
Farage buys £200k stake in Kwarteng's bitcoin venture
Nigel Farage has acquired a significant stake in a bitcoin reserve business helmed by Liz Truss's former chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng.
2 mins
March 10, 2026
The Independent
Crufts champion's historic charge for animal cruelty
The breeder behind this year's Best in Show winner at Crufts has a previous conviction for animal cruelty.
2 mins
March 10, 2026
The Independent
No country can own Britain – and that includes the USA
I would like to think that, were Ed Davey prime minister, rather than an opposition politician desperately seeking relevance, he would not be asking the King and Queen to pull their planned state visit to the United States next month.
3 mins
March 10, 2026
The Independent
Is this the forever war that Trump vowed not to start?
The apocalyptic scenes caught on dashcams as Tehran's motorists witnessed, and then tried to flee, the impact of US and Israeli airstrikes on the Iranian capital's oil infrastructure will be seared into people's memories, both there and around the world.
3 mins
March 10, 2026
The Independent
War will ‘impact lives and households of everybody’
PM acknowledges concerns about the threat of rising bills
4 mins
March 10, 2026
The Independent
Lammy urged to withdraw proposal to curb jury trials
Top lawyers and ex-judges demand U-turn in open letter
4 mins
March 10, 2026
The Independent
Asylum plea after anthem protest by Iran footballers
Trump applies pressure on Australia to take in squad
2 mins
March 10, 2026
The Independent
Home news in brief
Glasgow Central shut as city rallies round fire-hit businesses
3 mins
March 10, 2026
The Independent
Will my river cruise be hit by these soaring oil prices?
Q I have already fully paid up for a river cruise. Can the company force me to pay more because of the fuel crisis?
1 mins
March 10, 2026
Listen
Translate
Change font size
