Déjà vu in Montreal: Norris Under Fire After McLaren Collision Echoes 2011 Button-Hamilton Clash – Canada’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve once again witnessed intra-team chaos as Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri collided during the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix.
The crash sparked instant flashbacks to 2011, when two other McLaren drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, also collided at the same spot on the track. However, while the incidents appear similar on the surface, former Formula 1 driver Jolyon Palmer argues that they are fundamentally different in terms of cause, context and consequence.
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In a moment that sent shivers through long-time McLaren fans, Norris ended his Canadian race by crashing into the rear of his teammate, Oscar Piastri, in a move that instantly summoned memories of the Hamilton–Button clash 14 years earlier. Back in 2011, Hamilton retired immediately after a side-by-side collision with Button in treacherously wet conditions. Button, much like Piastri this year, was able to continue after pitting to repair damage to his car.
That day went down in history as one of the most chaotic and dramatic races of all time. Despite his own collision, Button eventually secured an unlikely victory after five pit stops, a drive-through penalty and a last-lap pass on the championship leader at the time, Sebastian Vettel. By contrast, Norris was left to rue a costly and clumsy misjudgement in much drier conditions.
Palmer: ‘The story may be the same, but the details matter’
For Jolyon Palmer, who now provides analysis for Formula1.com, the similarities between the two McLaren-on-McLaren collisions are ultimately superficial.
‘They tell the same story,’ Palmer said, ‘but the way it happened is crucially different.’
According to the former Renault driver, Hamilton had established himself alongside Button in 2011 and therefore had a rightful claim to space. Norris, on the other hand, had never fully caught up with Piastri and started the manoeuvre from too far back.
“Norris really wanted to force that move, but the space was never there,” Palmer noted. “Lando was never really next to Oscar. He simply drove into the back of him.”
Internal fallout averted — for now
Piastri’s reaction was measured and mature. Unlike Button’s infamous radio outburst in 2011—”What’s he doing there?”—Piastri remained calm. Crucially, Norris took full responsibility for the crash almost immediately after the race, sparing McLaren a deeper intra-team crisis.
‘McLaren — and probably even Norris — will be happy that the incident didn’t take both cars out of the race,’ Palmer commented. ‘Even if it ultimately cost Lando twelve more points in the championship.’
Palmer also noted that Piastri emerged from the incident with a net gain, as the points difference between the two drivers narrowed in the standings. This, combined with Norris owning up to his mistake, defused a potentially explosive situation within the team.
‘The fact that Oscar benefited and Lando took the blame immediately means that the team will probably avoid an internal war for the time being,’ Palmer concluded.
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Lessons from the past
Looking back at the 2011 clash, Button was also quick to smooth over tensions. He publicly apologised for not seeing Hamilton in his mirrors amid the heavy rain, which prevented the incident from escalating beyond a dramatic footnote in one of F1’s most legendary races.
That infamous Grand Prix lasted over four hours — still the longest race in the sport’s history — and saw Button involved in multiple incidents. After colliding with Hamilton, he also touched wheels with Fernando Alonso, incurred a drive-through penalty and made five separate pit stops. Yet, on the final lap, he overtook Sebastian Vettel to secure an unforgettable victory.
No such fairy-tale ending awaited McLaren in 2025, however. While Piastri salvaged a decent points haul, Norris walked away with nothing but regret and a broken front wing. Nevertheless, the team remained united, for now.
The bigger picture for McLaren
McLaren showed impressive performance in 2025, with both drivers regularly featuring near the front. However, in a tight midfield battle where team dynamics are increasingly delicate, moments like these can define a season. Although Norris has often been the de facto team leader, Piastri’s consistency and resilience in challenging situations, such as in Canada, are rapidly establishing his credentials as an equal partner.
With the championship fight intensifying, the Woking-based squad knows that even minor collisions can have major consequences. The Norris-Piastri crash in Montreal may not have ended both drivers’ races, but it has introduced a tension that McLaren will need to monitor closely.
Palmer’s analysis highlights that, while incidents between teammates are not new to Formula 1, it is how they unfold and how the drivers respond that makes all the difference. Norris’s decision to immediately accept fault may have saved McLaren from long-term internal fallout. However, as the pressure of the championship intensifies, the risk of further collisions — physical or political — remains ever-present.
If history teaches us anything in Formula 1, it’s that McLaren drivers colliding in Canada could be just the beginning of a longer, more complex story.
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