McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has revealed that a “clear perimeter” has been set for Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, over what is and what isn’t allowed when racing each other.
It comes after the duo almost made contact at the recent Italian Grand Prix, where the two drivers found themselves side-by-side as Piastri emerged from the pits.
Piastri had been ahead of Norris but wasn’t pitted first by the Woking-based team, giving the British driver an advantage.
Norris held the racing line into Turn 1, causing Piastri to take an extremely tight line through the opening chicane to avoid hitting his team-mate.
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It was a situation McLaren didn’t want to find themselves in, with Stella having been far from pleased about how close the duo came to a costly collision.
Whilst Stella is more than happy to let his drivers’ race, he wants them to know that there is a line which can be crossed.
“My role is to give them principals and a clear perimeter within which they can race,” Stella told media including RacingNews365.
“It is what we want to see, like with the Ferraris, I am sure on the pit-wall, they were nervous, but it was a good spectacle, we want to see racing.
“But our role is to give the drivers a clear perimeter within which the racing should happen, in terms of how you stay within the perimeter.
“It is not for us to say because we are not the drivers, in terms of having the skill set to say: ‘The tyres are a bit cold, maybe I need to take more margin.’
“It is not for me to say, I am not in the car and even if I was, I would not have been any safer.
“They both just need to appreciate that, and there is no way that the line should be crossed.”
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The pair were squabbling for P7 at the time, behind Alex Albon in sixth.
Norris ended up finishing the race in eighth whilst Piastri had to settle for 12th, following a collision with Lewis Hamilton.
Whilst Hamilton was penalised for the incident which he caused, the seven-time World Champion had the speed to catch and overtake Norris and Albon, before clearing off into the distance.