Norris: With nothing to lose I'm in a comfortable place

The repercussions, details of which were never disclosed by the team, were imposed after Norris gained from forcing the Australian wide at the first corner in Singapore. The pair collided in Austin during a sprint race last Saturday, forcing both to retire, and Piastri revealed in Mexico on Thursday that he had taken responsibility and they would be starting with a clean slate.

Norris, 14 points adrift of Piastri after 19 of 24 rounds, told reporters at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez: "It's better for my interests. I don't know if relieved is the right word. It wasn't like I was sweating before, but it gives me better chances in races. It was certainly a disadvantage. I would never choose it."

The Briton has been steadily eroding Piastri's lead, beating the Australian in the last four races but also losing ground to Red Bull's reigning champion Max Verstappen, who is now 40 points off Piastri.

Norris said he was still in a good position with five rounds remaining: "I probably prefer being first, but I'm also in second with nothing to lose. So, no, I'm in a comfortable place."

The 25-year-old, who finished overall runner-up last year, said he did not believe in momentum, with every race weekend different and the car and track characteristics changing.

Norris also emphasised how tricky to drive he still found McLaren's 2025 car, which he said was incredibly quick once in the elusive perfect performance window: "I clearly found last year's car easier to understand and easier to get the most out of than I do this year.

"You have weekends where things suit you a bit better and others not. In the end there are days when I can't get as much out of the car as Oscar does. And there are days I get more out of the car than Oscar does. I'm trying every weekend to still do a better job but it's pretty impossible to figure out.

"Still, even at this point of the year, to figure out how to do every type of corner, how to produce every lap in every condition, it's just not something I can do anywhere near as well as last year," added the Briton, making clear he was not seeking to make excuses.