Lando Norris’ Tense Radio Message Emerges After Tense On-Track Battle with Teammate Oscar Piastri at Austin GP Sprint
Lando Norris’ Tense Radio Message Emerges After Tense On-Track Battle with Teammate Oscar Piastri at Austin GP Sprint
The 2025 United States Grand Prix Sprint race in Austin on October 18 delivered high drama from the outset, but the real fireworks erupted between McLaren teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, culminating in a controversial on-track incident that saw Norris slam his radio button with a frustrated plea to his race engineer. As the two battled for the lead in the 19-lap sprint format, Norris’ aggressive move at Turn 12—locking wheels with Piastri and forcing the Australian to run wide—sparked immediate tension, with Norris’ radio message leaking via team telemetry and shared by F1 insiders. “What the f*** was that? He just drove into me—tell him to back off or we’re both out!” Norris barked to engineer Will Joseph, a rare public fracture in McLaren’s harmonious duo that has propelled the team to the constructors’ lead. The incident, which cost Piastri two seconds but no position, has ignited debates on teammate rivalry, with Norris later apologizing while defending his aggression as “racing hard.”
#### The Sprint Showdown: Norris and Piastri’s Wheel-to-Wheel War
The Austin Sprint, a 100km opener to the weekend’s full Grand Prix, saw McLaren dominate from the front row, with Norris on pole and Piastri alongside after a qualifying lockout. Norris led at the start, but Piastri, starting on softer mediums, closed the gap by Lap 5, hounding his teammate through the esses and into Turn 12. At the hairpin, Norris defended inside, but Piastri braked late, clipping Norris’ right-rear and sending both cars wide—a heart-in-mouth moment that drew a yellow flag but no stewards’ intervention. Norris held the lead, fending off Max Verstappen to win the Sprint by 1.2 seconds and scoop 8 points, while Piastri took second for 7, extending McLaren’s constructors’ advantage to 42 points over Red Bull.
Piastri, 24 and in his second full season, radioed calmly: “That was close—give me some space, Lando.” Norris’ response, captured on open team channel, was far more visceral: “What the f*** was that? He just drove into me—tell him to back off or we’re both out!” The outburst, leaked by F1 journalist Mark Hughes on X, went viral with 1.5 million views, fans split between “Lando’s right—Oscar was reckless” and “Teammate aggression? McLaren’s harmony is cracking.” Norris, who finished second in the Drivers’ Championship last year, later clarified: “It was heat-of-the-moment—we’re good; Oscar’s my teammate, not my enemy.”
McLaren’s Teammate Dynamic: From Harmony to Friction
Norris and Piastri’s partnership has been McLaren’s secret weapon in 2025, with the duo locking out 12 podiums and contributing to 15 wins. Norris, the veteran with 7 Grand Prix titles, leads the team with 285 points to Piastri’s 248, but their on-track battles have escalated from playful to pointed. In Monza, Piastri’s aggressive overtake on Norris at the Parabolica drew a “watch your inside” radio warning; in Singapore, Norris held Piastri off for P2 but admitted “close calls” post-race. The Austin incident, McLaren’s first teammate contact since Norris vs. Ricciardo in 2021, highlights the pressure of the constructors’ battle, with team principal Andrea Stella urging “smart racing” in a team briefing.
Stella, in a post-Sprint presser, downplayed the tension: “Lando and Oscar are professionals—they push each other, and that’s why we’re winning. The radio was frustration, not fracture.” Verstappen, P3 in the Sprint, joked: “Teammate wars? Welcome to F1—been there.” Piastri, locking out P2 with Sainz, added: “We talked it out—Lando’s aggressive, but that’s his strength. We’re fighting for the same goal.”
The Radio Message: “Tell Him to Back Off or We’re Both Out”
Norris’ leaked radio, captured at 14:23 lap time, was raw: “What the f*** was that? He just drove into me—tell him to back off or we’re both out!” The outburst, amid 32°C Austin heat and 60% humidity, highlighted the sprint’s intensity—short races amplify aggression without the full Grand Prix’s strategy buffer. Norris held the lead, fending off Verstappen’s late charge, but the moment echoed his 2024 Hungary clash with Verstappen, where a similar radio plea (“He’s not giving me space”) led to a stewards’ warning.
FIA race director Niels Wittich reviewed the incident but deemed it “racing incident,” citing no deliberate contact. Norris, in the post-race presser, tempered: “Oscar braked late—it was close, but that’s racing. We debriefed; no hard feelings.” Piastri: “Lando defended hard—my bad on the line; we’re teammates, not enemies.”
Bigger Picture: McLaren’s Constructors’ Lead and Rivalry Risks
McLaren’s 2025 dominance—15 wins, 42-point lead over Red Bull—relies on Norris and Piastri’s harmony, but the Austin friction highlights risks. Norris eyes his first title (285 points, 48 behind Verstappen), while Piastri, with 248, chases his maiden win. The full Grand Prix on October 19 could see teammate tension boil over, with Stella locking out P1-P2 as the target.
Fans on X under #NorrisPiastri: “Radio gold—Lando’s ‘both out’ had me dying!” (300k likes). Red Bull’s Christian Horner: “McLaren’s harmony? Watch it crack under pressure.” As Austin’s weekend heats up, Norris’ message isn’t just frustration—it’s the spark for F1’s teammate thriller.
| Driver | Sprint Result | Points | Radio Quote |
|——–|—————|——–|————-|
| Lando Norris | 1st | 8 | “What the f*** was that? Tell him to back off!” |
| Oscar Piastri | 2nd | 7 | “That was close—give me some space.” |
| Max Verstappen | 3rd | 6 | N/A |
Norris’ “p****d off” plea during the Sprint wasn’t just words—it’s the battle cry for McLaren’s crown. The Grand Prix awaits; the teammates’ truce? Tested.
