A chaotic evening at the Singapore GP: Max Verstappen refuses to negotiate with Lando Norris after an incident in F1 qualifying, leaving Oscar Piastri frustrated on the radio as he cannot hide his disappointment with Lando Norris, causing internal turmoil at McLaren amid heavy controversy at the Singapore GP

The lights of Marina Bay flickered brightly on the dark waters of Singapore, but the tension on the track was even hotter than the tropical night air. Qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix on October 4, 2025, had every intention of being a quiet prelude to the race, but instead, a storm erupted that shook the Formula 1 world. George Russell took pole position for Mercedes, but the real show was stolen by an incident between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, which not only infuriated the Dutchman but also exposed internal rifts at McLaren. While Verstappen refused to speak to his rival, Oscar Piastri’s frustration blared loudly on the team radio, a sign of growing unrest in the championship leader’s camp.

It all started in the closing stages of Q3, the crucial minutes where every tenth of a second counts. Verstappen, who had won the last two races and reduced his deficit to Piastri to 69 points, was pushing for pole position. With a time of 1:29.340 seconds, he had already put Russell on edge, but on his final flying lap, he got stuck behind the slow-moving McLaren of Norris. The Briton was on his warm-up lap after his own qualifying lap, but according to Verstappen, he held the racing line in the final chicane, sector three, where the streets of Singapore are narrow and unforgiving. The Dutchman lost aerodynamic downforce, his front wheels understeered, and he was forced to retire – a potential loss of pole position that still bothers him.

“I don’t feel like negotiating with him,” Verstappen snapped immediately after the session in a brief conversation with his engineer Gianpiero Lambiase, whose sarcastic remark over the radio—”That was Lando, wasn’t it?”—had already gone viral on social media. In the parc fermé interviews, Verstappen was unstoppable. “It could have been close for pole, but with that car in front of me… Well, it wasn’t Oscar,” he said with a wink at Piastri, who finished third. Speaking to David Coulthard, he explicitly warned Norris: “This incident will be remembered. It could have been avoided.” The four-time world champion, struggling with a Red Bull that is no longer dominant but still competitive, sees a pattern in such moments. “Red Bull always complains,” Norris sneered back, referring to previous disputes, but insiders know this cuts deeper in a season full of rivalry.

The FIA ​​investigated the incident on-site but decided not to impose a penalty – Norris had technically done nothing wrong, although former champion Jenson Button argued for more sportsmanship. “He didn’t have to move aside for the chicane, but it would have been fair play,” Button said on Sky Sports. For Verstappen, it was a missed opportunity in a weekend where he was building momentum. With 318 points, he is now 22 seconds behind Piastri (340) and only 25 behind Norris (293). A third consecutive win here would have heated up the title race, but now he starts second, with Russell on pole and Piastri in his mirror.

But the real bombshell exploded at McLaren, where the brotherly harmony shattered. While Norris finished fifth, 0.428 seconds behind Russell, Piastri’s voice rang out sharply on the radio during the race preparations. The Australian, who had secured a strong position with his P3, couldn’t hide his disappointment with Norris. “That’s not fair, that’s not fair,” he grumbled after an early contact on the warm-up lap, where Norris nearly pushed him into the wall. Onboard footage showed Norris’s McLaren hitting Piastri’s rear, a moment that nearly threw the championship leader off course. “Check the controllables, mate,” his engineer tried to calm him down, but Piastri’s frustration was palpable. “Why are you allowing this?” he later said, a hint at team orders that McLaren has been avoiding for weeks.

This outburst didn’t come out of nowhere. McLaren dominates the Constructors’ Championship—they’re on the verge of their second consecutive title—but internal tensions are brewing. Piastri leads Norris by 25 points, but the Briton has shown in the past that he’s not afraid of aggression. Remember Baku, where Piastri crashed and Norris couldn’t capitalize, or Hungary last year, with discussions about position swaps. Now, with the title race in full swing, Piastri feels disadvantaged. “We weren’t quick enough today,” Norris admitted, but Piastri’s radio outburst revealed deeper tensions. “I’m surprised by Mercedes’ pole, but this team needs to prioritize,” seemed to be his implicit message. Zak Brown and team principal Andrea Stella have repeatedly promised “equal opportunities,” but critics see favoritism: Norris often gets the strategic edge, while Piastri has to endure the tough calls.

The controversy raged on social media and in the paddock. Posts on X (formerly Twitter) exploded with memes about Verstappen’s warning – “Max remembers everything,” joked one fan – and McLaren fans divided into camps. “Norris is selfish,” tweeted one supporter, referring to the contact with Piastri. Others defended him: “He avoided Verstappen and accidentally hit him.” Sunday’s race, with 62 laps around the streets of Singapore, promises fireworks. Will Verstappen channel his frustration into a charge past Russell? Can Piastri maintain his lead without Norris undermining him? And with the title fight heating up more than ever, how will McLaren respond to this internal turmoil?

This chaotic evening in Singapore reminds us why Formula 1 is so addictive: not just for the speed, but for the human dramas. Verstappen’s refusal to speak to Norris is a statement from a champion who knows no mercy. Piastri’s radio rage is the signal of a leader forced to defend his position. At McLaren, rumors of team orders are abuzz, and with only seven races remaining, this night could tip the scales. The lights stay on, but the shadows of controversy are lengthening. Singapore has spoken – and the echoes will reverberate well into the season.