McLaren has not changed the racing rules it imposes on its drivers after the pair collided at the Canadian Grand Prix, says Oscar Piastri.
The championship leader was hit by his team mate Lando Norris as they fought over fourth place at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Piastri held his position to the finish but Norris, who accepted blame for the collision, retired due to damage.
The two drivers fought for position for several laps prior to their collision. Piastri said the team’s ‘papaya rules’ – its policy for how the pair may race each other on-track – will be “the same as always.”
“Obviously what happened in Canada wasn’t ideal,” he acknowledged. “But we’re still free to race, still fighting for a championship each, so we’ll keep going racing and make sure that obviously we don’t come into contact again.”
Piastri said the pair “spoke about it honestly before we even got back to the team” after the last race. “Lando put his hands up and apologised, so it’s all good and I’m looking forward to going racing again.”
Despite the clash Piastri remains convinced the team have the “correct approach” to managing their drivers. “It’s obviously a difficult one to navigate, but that’s a good problem to have in some ways,” he said.
Before the season began McLaren’s drivers told the team to prioritise fairness between the two of them.
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“The biggest and most important thing was just that things remain fair from as many aspects as you can,” he said. “Obviously there’s certain situations that are not always going to be completely fair, whether it’s strategy because there’s only one pit box or some other things. But I think that’s the biggest thing for both of us.
“Obviously the first rule, regardless of whether it is written down or not, is that the two cars from the same team don’t crash, so that’s the big thing. What we’ve done well this year before Canada is acknowledging that it’s a possibility. I think we dealt with it very well in Canada and since Canada.”
Piastri goes into the 11th round of the championship with a 22-point lead over Norris and a further 21 over Max Verstappen. He said he isn’t anywhere near being far enough ahead of his team mate to demand preferential treatment.
“I just want, and we all want to have a fair opportunity [while] trying to win both championships,” he said. “Especially in the drivers’ championship, because it ultimately can only be one of us.
“I think the situation has to change dramatically to start having those conversations. They’re a very long way away at the moment.
“At the moment all I can ask for is a fair chance to try and win the championship and that’s what I want as well. So no, I’m not willing to enter those talks at all.”
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