McLaren confirm review after Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri almost come to blows

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has said the team will review Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri's late-race battle at the Italian Grand Prix, particularly given it may have cost them the chance to fight Max Verstappen for the final podium position.

The two drivers engaged in some spirited on-track action in the final few laps at Monza, with the former ultimately outlasting the latter for fourth place.

However, it could have ended in tears, with the pair almost colliding on Lap 51 of 53, when Norris tried to overtake around the outside of the Curva Grande, the fast, sweeping right-hander that leads into the second chicane at the Temple of Speed.

Defending his position, Piastri moved over to the left, blocking his team-mate, who had to take to the grass.

The reigning F1 drivers' champion was less than impressed, taking to team radio to express his displeasure, saying the Australian had pushed him off.

Norris subsequently revised his account after the race, taking a much more measured view of the incident.

When asked about the episode, the McLaren boss detailed why the team did not intervene, despite the British driver appearing to have more pace in hand.

"In this situation, we thought that for Lando to be able to have a chance on Max, he should first be able to pass Oscar," Stella explained to media, including RacingNews365.

"And the two cars were on the same tyres, the same tyre age, the same car. So we thought there was no need to interfere with the normal development of the race. We let them race.

"We think that was the right thing to do. I think overall Max was faster. He was just caught in this hook that you have this year, when you lose the slipstream here in Monza, and you have to use the energy to defend from someone else."

Was there a 'better way' to fight Verstappen?

Addressing the near miss between his two drivers, Stella, like Norris and Piastri in their post-race press duties, dismissed any wrongdoing.

"The moment in which Lando put the wheels on the grass, he came on the radio; he made a comment like 'he pushed me off' or something," the Italian added.

"But actually, when we reviewed it, I think we saw that the episode is much more benign than what it might have looked like in the heat of the moment."

Nonetheless, the 55-year-old did state that McLaren would look more closely at the scenario, in large part due to the lost opportunity to attack the Red Bull ahead, which took the chequered flag five seconds ahead of Norris.

"So it's something that we will certainly review, and we will review it in the context of this kind of racing, because I think you are right in highlighting that as soon as you fight with each other, then you may lose time," Stella said.

"So, was there a better way for McLaren to give a fight to Verstappen? We will review.

"It wasn't obvious to us on the pit wall, and we thought that it was more important to let them race according to our philosophy of going racing."