McLaren: our message on the radio was directed to both drivers.

      Piastri's assertiveness could backfire - Schumacher

      The internal rivalry at McLaren has intensified into a two-way contest between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris for the 2025 title, but tensions are escalating. Championship leader Piastri saw his advantage over Norris shrink to just 9 points following Hungary, down from a 22-point lead after Canada. The Australian ended up finishing behind Norris on Sunday despite initially being in front, as Norris successfully implemented a daring one-stop strategy to secure victory.

      Controversy arose towards the end of the race when Piastri almost collided with Norris during an aggressive overtaking attempt, prompting a caution from McLaren's race engineers. Team principal Andrea Stella commented that he would need to review the situation to understand exactly what occurred. "Our reminder on the radio was directed at both drivers. The first rule is that they must avoid aggressive maneuvers next to each other on the inside, and the second is that they cannot move under braking. It’s expected for them to strive for their best, but their contests must adhere to our guidelines," he explained.

      Stella dismissed any suggestions of favoritism towards Norris, stating, "With the late second stop, we ensured that Oscar still had a fair chance to overtake Lando. He was given the greatest possible tyre advantage and sufficient laps to close the gap," according to the Italian. McLaren CEO Zak Brown supported this view, commenting, "Both drivers have adhered to the Papaya rules."

      Nonetheless, Ralf Schumacher believes Piastri has crossed a line. "That was too close," he remarked to Sky Deutschland. "His radio communications indicate that Oscar is driven by ambition, which can sometimes lead to issues. It's surprising how calm the team is about this and that they allow both to drive without restrictions."

      When asked about his diminishing lead, Piastri downplayed the significance. "The largest lead this year has been 23 points, and it hasn't fluctuated within 10 points in nearly the last ten races," he said. "So, I'm not overly concerned. Obviously, getting the extra points would have been nice, but I don't think it's indicative of a trend."