Stewards right to clear Norris and Piastri over Singapore Sprint clash

On the final lap Norris dived to the inside of Piastri at Turn 5 in a bid for fourth. He pulled alongside, then began to back out through the corner, and his left-front tyre caught the right-rear of Piastri's car. Both spun. Piastri hit the wall and retired, while Norris recovered to take the chequered flag in P8.

Two drivers, two readings of the same corner

The stewards' report sets out both accounts. Norris said the front axle of his car was ahead of Piastri's mirror before the apex, so he expected to be left space. When the space was less than he'd anticipated, he had to use the inside kerb and brake, and the collision followed. Piastri explained that he hadn't expected an overtake and, after turning in, noticed Norris on the inside and tried to leave space.

Norris was unrepentant before the investigation. "It was a big gap, I went for it, I have the right to do that. The rest we go review as a team."

Piastri was candid about what he saw. "I didn't see him at the apex," he said. "I looked behind into the corner and saw he was a reasonable way behind for a corner like that but I'll have a look and the team can do what it needs to do." He also played down the stakes: "From where I sit, it’s for fourth and fifth for a sprint race so I’m not that bothered either way."

Why shared blame is the fair call

The stewards concluded that "both drivers had contributed to the incident and that neither driver was wholly or predominantly to blame for the collision. Therefore the Stewards determined to take no further action."

That's fair. Norris had every right to go for a gap on the last lap, and he was backing out of the move when the contact came. Piastri didn't expect the move and was trying to leave space once he spotted him. Neither did enough wrong to deserve a penalty, and punishing either of them would have been punishment for the sake of it.

The harder call now belongs to McLaren

Shared blame, no penalty, and no complaints from us. The bigger decision now sits with McLaren, and both drivers have left it with the team. Piastri noted it's "a lot of work now for the team to get both cars fixed". Whether McLaren let them race each other in the Grand Prix is the question that matters next.