The decision comes after a tense few rounds for McLaren. Norris had been handed minor intra-team penalties after making contact with Piastri in Singapore, believed to include a system that would allow Piastri to choose the order of cars leaving the garage in qualifying.
Those measures were intended to prevent further clashes, but a chaotic Turn 1 incident in Austin during the Sprint saw both McLaren cars eliminated, forcing the team to reassess.
Piastri, who collided with Nico Hulkenberg’s Sauber before making contact with Norris, acknowledged his role in the incident.
“We’ve gone through it again — we go through every weekend regardless of what’s happened,” he said.
“I think there is a degree of responsibility from my side in the Sprint.
“We’re starting this weekend with a clean slate for both of us.
Secure your spot today.
“So, yeah, just going out and racing and see who can come out on top.”
When asked whether this meant previous repercussions had been removed from Norris after Singapore, Piastri confirmed this was the case.
“Yes, the consequences on Lando’s side have been removed,” he added.
“There’s a lot of factors involved, but ultimately that’s what’s been decided.”
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The double DNF in the Austin sprint proved a significant setback for McLaren, with Max Verstappen taking both the sprint and grand prix victories and cutting into Piastri’s championship lead.
The 24-year-old now holds a 14-point advantage over Norris, while Verstappen is only 40 points adrift with five grands prix and two sprint races remaining in 2025.
The narrow margins place both McLarens under intense scrutiny as they head into the crucial final stages of the season.
Despite the recent clashes, Piastri emphasised that the team’s internal “papaya rules” remain clear, ensuring both drivers understand the framework for racing each other.
“It’s pretty clear what those rules are, which is don’t crash into each other. That’s how you’re expected to race as teammates,” he said.
With Verstappen closing in rapidly, the focus for McLaren is now firmly on maximising performance across the remaining races.
“I’m sure that they’re going to be a threat again this weekend, and we’ll try our best to get the most out of our car and see where we end up,” Piastri said.
The clean slate also allows the Australian to draw on his past experiences in high-pressure championship battles.
Piastri compared the situation to his 2020 Formula 3 title and his 2019 Formula Renault campaign, where rivals closed in during the final rounds, forcing him to maintain composure and consistency under intense pressure.
“There are some similarities, yes,” he said.
“I think ultimately in this championship, I feel stronger than I did in that year, and some things are a bit different.
“I think it’s also similar to the Formula Renault championship I had – in some ways, scarily similar. But the good thing I have is the evidence that I can pull it off – I won both of those championships.
“So those are nice things to look back on, definitely. But I also know that just because I’ve done it before doesn’t mean it’s automatically going to happen this time.
“But it is nice to look back on how I’ve handled those kinds of situations in the past, the experience I have now from that, and how I can apply that to this year.”
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