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On-track Incident Overshadows Team Celebration

The controversial moment that is bound to create problems at McLaren came as Norris dived down the inner line of Piastri after getting away well from P5 on the grid.

Norris was caught out by Verstappen decelerating more than he anticipated in the middle of Turn Three.

Norris made contact with the Red Bull, compromising the McLaren's nose section, and that bounced him side-on into Piastri, whose pace was disrupted, enabling Norris to move ahead into third place.

Team Radio Reveal Increasing Friction

Piastri said over the radio: "That didn't feel like teamwork, but sure."

Moments later, he added: "Is it acceptable that Lando just pushing me out of the way?"

His engineer responded that the team were "reviewing the situation", before following up to tell Piastri that they would take "no action" in the race because "Norris needed to evade Verstappen" and that they would "analyze it afterwards".

Title Race Impact

• Piastri's points advantage over Norris was cut to 22 points with half a dozen events remaining
• Verstappen has also closed in and is 63 adrift of the championship lead
• McLaren won their second consecutive team championship

Event Overview

George Russell controlled the race at the lead on his way to a dominant win, very much in the manner of his triumph in Canada back in June.

Verstappen chose to start the race on softer compound rather than the medium compound on most other cars in the leading group, but the choice did not prove successful and Russell comfortably maintained the lead at the start before building a significant advantage.

"It was slippery, but that's motorsport. I took the inner line, had a minor adjustment but nothing significant. It was hard but fair competition." - Lando Norris

Midfield Battle

Mercedes' newcomer Kimi Antonelli secured P5, overtaking Ferrari's Charles Leclerc on lap 54 as the Ferrari lost performance, and then defending against Lewis Hamilton in the final stages.

Fernando Alonso drove an excellent race to take eighth as the best midfield runner.

The Spanish driver and Racing Bulls' Isack Hadjar engaged in close combat in the opening stages, Alonso overtaking Hadjar into the first corner to take P8, before the driver from France regained the position later in the lap, only for Alonso to pass again on lap three.