What people in McLaren were saying about Lando Norris’s defending from Oscar Piastri at Monza

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McLaren have a dilemma to solve between now and the end of the season but it’s a situation almost every other team on the Formula 1 grid would love to be facing.

With just eight race weekends remaining, McLaren could win both the Drivers’ and Constructors’’ Championships.

Lando Norris is Max Verstappen’s closest rival and Oscar Piastri is outperforming Sergio Perez to such an extent that only eight points separates McLaren and Red Bull.

However, McLaren have allowed their drivers to race under papaya rules which has meant Piastri taking points off his teammate in recent races – most notably in Hungary and Monza.

McLaren look set to change their papaya rules in time for Baku but the team may be questioning whether that will be enough for Norris to overturn a 62-point gap to the triple-world champion above him in the standings.

READ MORE: McLaren driver Lando Norris’ life outside F1 from height and parents to celebration

Speaking on the Unlapped Podcast, journalist Nate Saunders provided more context to the situation.

Saunders had spoken to some people within McLaren about the move that Piastri take the lead of the Italian Grand Prix on the opening lap.

It was ambitious and perfectly executed but potentially highlighted a misunderstanding between the two drivers heading into the race.

How some people at McLaren felt about Lando Norris’s defending from Oscar Piastri at Monza

Reflecting on the situation, Saunders said: “Both Lando and Oscar had a different interpretation of what they heard. I don’t think they heard different things.

“Lando should never have left the door open if he was fighting for the championship, and Oscar was able to go around him.

“But I also think that part of that, and think I can say fairly confidently, you know, talking to a couple of people at the team, I think Lando believed leaving that room before the race, in that situation, Oscar’s not going to put you and the lead under threat and Oscar was completely in his right to do that if the rules didn’t say that specifically.

READ MORE: McLaren driver Oscar Piastri’s life outside F1 from height to girlfriend

“I think the biggest issue from McLaren is they actually got away with a really humiliating moment because if those two cars had crashed and gone into the gravel, Ferrari still probably would have won the race but there would have been no way of knowing that.

“The storyline would have been McLaren throw away this win, their two drivers collide, we’re talking about it for two weeks.

“So, they were lucky in that sense, they got away with it and that’s why I was surprised that they didn’t have a more clear-cut rule.

“As far as we know, this is the other fascinating part of this and the other part that I think, and I hope we’re going to hear more about in Baku is I’m not convinced that it wasn’t clear.”

Guenther Steiner becoming frustrated with Lando Norris

Norris looked like a championship contender with his performance at Zandvoort despite being jumped on the first lap by Verstappen.

He passed the Dutchman with ease before his pit stop and set the fastest lap of the race as he took the chequered flag to prove he had more in the tank if he needed it.

However, he was too easily overtaken by Piastri going into the Roggia chicane and Guenther Steiner admitted that he wanted to see Norris get more frustrated on the team radio.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about McLaren F1 Team from team principal to engine

That’s never been Norris’s approach and however he feels in the cockpit of his McLaren tends to be kept to himself.

Piastri is one of the most impressive drivers on the grid right now and at just 23 is only going to get better and better.

Norris may realise that this season is his best chance to win a title and has to take advantage of every opportunity which may involve being slightly more boisterous when it comes to racing his teammate.