Lando Norris has played down his heated radio messages during Formula 1's Italian Grand Prix, admitting that his battle with Oscar Piastri – which saw him run onto the grass – was fair.
The clash came in the closing stages of the 53-lap race at Monza. Piastri was struggling to keep Max Verstappen behind for fourth, while Norris had carved past Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari to set his sights on his teammate. Norris made his first pass on lap 48, sparking a thrilling slipstream duel typical of the Temple of Speed.
Piastri reclaimed the position a lap later, but Norris tried again with three laps to go at the second chicane. Piastri covered the inside, yet Norris still committed to a tight gap on the left, forcing two wheels onto the grass and prompting a radio complaint that he was 'pushed off'.
With hindsight, Norris quickly conceded after the race that Piastri had done nothing wrong. 'No, it was okay,' he explained. 'I still need to review things, but it's just the perception when you're in the car. At 200 miles an hour, it feels like that. But what he did was fair.'
The intra-team duel continued to the final lap, with the pit wall instructing them to race cleanly. Norris seemed to bide his time for a decisive move, benefiting from being behind to save battery, and finally made it stick at the Ascari chicane. Piastri attempted a response on the run to the flag but had to correct a big slide out of Parabolica, settling for fifth.
'It was a good battle,' said Piastri. 'A lot of back and forth, and on the last lap you never know what to do with the energy. We went for different strategies, he got past, and I thought I'd have a chance to get back, but I just didn't get there.'
The result keeps McLaren firmly at the top of the constructors' standings, but the intense rivalry between its two drivers is sure to be a talking point. Will their relationship remain cool under pressure? We'll find out at the next round.
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