OCTOBER 7, 2025

Piastri-Ferrari rumours swirl as McLaren tensions explode

McLaren may have sealed the 2025 Constructors' Championship in Singapore - but inside the team, the fight between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris is threatening to boil over.

Swiss newspaper Blick reports that while Piastri is cemented into McLaren at least for 2026, the Australian has already set his sights on Ferrari for 2027. The speculation follows a weekend of palpable tension between the two title contenders and their team bosses.

Piastri's anger after being pushed wide by Norris on the opening lap was clear on radio - calling the move not very team-like - and was compounded when McLaren opted not to order a swap of positions.

He later cut team communications during CEO Zak Brown's post-race congratulations, fuelling talk of an internal rift.

Team boss Andrea Stella insisted the silence was innocent. We asked Oscar to turn off the engine when he arrived, and then the whole car five seconds later. When you do that, the FOM communication also shuts down, he said.

He also played down Piastri's absence from McLaren's F1-prompted official podium celebrations. It was an impromptu celebration, Stella explained. Oscar was with the media, and many team members didn't have time to get there.

Still, he admitted the intra-team rivalry needs careful management. Our review must be very detailed and analytical, said the Italian.

We'll take into account both drivers' perspectives and form a common opinion. If someone begins to feel that the rules are being applied unfairly, this could lead to rule violations and the destruction of the entire system. These conversations are critically important now.

Norris, for his part, dismissed Piastri's criticism. If you fault me for putting my car on the inside of a big gap, then you shouldn't be in Formula 1, he said.

European media have seized on the split. Spain's AS claimed the team celebration was feigned and that McLaren may even clamp down even harder with its controversial 'papaya rules' to keep control.

France's L'Equipe described Piastri's terse media statements as icy, while Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport said the internal battle now seems to be truly igniting.

Sky Deutschland's Ralf Schumacher added, Oscar is showing more nerves - he's more sensitive now, while Mercedes boss Toto Wolff predicted it will come to a situation where elbows will be used a bit more.

Austria's Kleine Zeitung summed up the growing speculation with the headline: McLaren trouble despite world championship title - has Oscar Piastri had enough of his own team?

(GMM)