McLaren have removed the repercussions imposed on Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri has confirmed, with the team-mates and title rivals to compete with a “clean slate” at this weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix.

​​​​​In what appears effectively to be a cancelling out of consequences for the drivers after collisions in each of the last two race weekends, Piastri said he took “a degree of responsibility” for the first-corner incident in Austin last Saturday that saw both McLarens crash out of the Sprint, after the team conducted their post-event review earlier this week.

Norris had arrived in Austin with what McLaren described as “marginal” sporting consequences imposed on him for banging wheels with Piastri after tagging Max Verstappen’s Red Bull ahead of him at the start of the previous race in Singapore.

The punishment was thought most likely to relate to Piastri getting preference on whether he ran first or second on track in the final part of qualifying. Norris had said the unspecified penalty would affect him for the rest of the season.

But after the dramatic events of Austin, which saw Piastri inadvertently wipe out both McLarens at the first turn after triggering a multi-car collision when he tagged Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg, the slate has now been wiped clean.

“The consequences on Lando’s side have been removed,” confirmed Piastri.

On McLaren’s review into the Sprint crash, Piastri said: “We have gone through it again. We go through every weekend regardless of what’s happened.

“I think there is a degree of responsibility from my side in the Sprint and we are starting this weekend with a clean slate for both of us.

“Just going out and racing and see who can come out on top.”

Piastri’s ‘responsibility’ for dramatic Norris crash confirmed

The two McLarens had gone wheel-to-wheel on the steep uphill run into the Circuit of The Americas’ wide first turn as Piastri challenged Norris for second place behind Max Verstappen.

With his team-mate holding the inside line into the braking zone, Piastri decided not to keep running on the outside of the sister car into a wide turn but instead cut back sharply underneath Norris in an attempt to get a better run on him out of the corner.

But Piastri instead collided with the oncoming Hulkenberg, with the contact pitching the McLaren up on two wheels and bouncing it into the luckless Norris.

Both McLarens sustained terminal damage, with title rival Verstappen going on to win the Sprint to further energise his comeback title bid. He then won the main Grand Prix a day later, beating Norris into second with Piastri fifth, to cut his deficit to the latter to 40 points.

Asked if it was the aggressiveness of his cut-back that led to the conclusion he was at least partly responsible for the melee, Piastri said: “Ultimately it was that.

“There were a lot of factors involved but ultimately that’s what has been decided.”

More to follow…

Sky Sports F1’s Mexico City GP schedule

Thursday October 23
12am: Paddock Uncut (Friday morning)

Friday October 24
7pm: Mexico City GP Practice One (session starts at 7.30pm)
9pm: The F1 Show
10pm: Team Bosses’ Press Conference
10.45pm: Mexico City GP Practice Two (session starts at 11pm)*

Saturday October 25
6.15pm: Mexico City GP Practice Three (session starts at 6.30pm)
9pm: Mexico City GP Qualifying build-up*
10pm: MEXICO CITY GP QUALIFYING*

Sunday October 26
6.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Mexico City GP build-up*
8pm: THE MEXICO CITY GRAND PRIX*
10pm: Chequered Flag: Mexico City GP reaction

*also on Sky Sports Main Event

Formula 1’s thrilling title race heads continues at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez for the Mexico City Grand Prix this weekend, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime