Button says title fight will test if Lando is ‘champion material’ after Piastri clash

Jenson Button says that the combat for the rubric is brutal and it is absorbing to spot however Lando Norris volition "deal" with the collision with his teammate Oscar Piastri aft the collision astatine the Canadian Grand Prix, and that it volition beryllium seen if his compatriot is truly champion material.

Norris had a beardown comeback successful the Montreal race, but it each ended successful catastrophe erstwhile helium tried to get connected the wrong of Piastri connected the pit straight, hooking the rear instrumentality of Piastri's car and crashing into the pit wall.

Norris needs to amusement if helium is simply a champion

Norris then battled with his teammate for 4th place, portion McLaren recovered themselves successful the uncommon concern of not having the champion gait connected Sunday successful Canada.

Piastri's fourth-place decorativeness became adjacent much important successful the drivers' title discourse aft Norris retired, extending Piastri's pb implicit Norris from 10 to 22 points.

It was a infinitesimal of deja vu for McLaren, arsenic Button recalled his collision with Lewis Hamilton connected the aforesaid agelong of way successful Canada successful 2011, erstwhile they were McLaren teammates. Now they volition beryllium watching to spot however Norris handles this challenge.

“I similar the information that we person a combat betwixt teammates due to the fact that it’s a combat for the satellite championship. It’s bully that they’re going hard,” Button told Sky Sports.

“This is simply a infinitesimal wherever they person to instrumentality the bull by the horns due to the fact that they don’t cognize erstwhile they’ll get different accidental similar this again, oregon if they’ll ever get different chance, fixed the regularisation alteration successful 2026.”

“They’re some warring hard for the satellite championship, but these things happen. Lewis and I crashed connected the aforesaid plain 14 years ago! It conscionable happens,” helium explains.

“Now we’ll spot if Lando is mentally beardown capable and if helium comes retired of this stronger,” the satellite champion said.

“I deliberation helium is, successful presumption of assurance and content successful his abilities, truthful I’m excited to spot however helium goes,” added Jenson Button.

Reaction

Any imaginable hostility betwixt the McLaren drivers was rapidly defused arsenic Norris instantly took afloat work for the crash.

“The fig 1 regularisation is you can’t deed your team-mate and I did that,” said Norris aft the race. “McLaren is my family. I thrust for them. Every play I effort to get a effect for them, often much than for myself.”

"So erstwhile I fto them down similar this, erstwhile I embarrass myself successful a infinitesimal similar today, I consciousness a batch of regret astir it. I'm not arrogant of it, I consciousness bad, and I consciousness similar I fto my squad down, and that's ever the worst feeling. So, of course, I tin lone apologize to them, and to the full squad and to Oscar."