Oscar Piastri addresses 'Senna-Prost' warning in Lando Norris title fight

Oscar Piastri has denied the idea that McLaren have reminded he and F1 title rival, and team-mate, Lando Norris of the fate that befell Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost.

Piastri is enjoying F1's summer break as the championship leader, but following a narrow defeat to Norris in Hungary, has only a nine point lead with 274 left up for grabs across the final 10 grands prix, which include three Sprints.

Whilst the pair have enjoyed a largely cordial title fight thus far, there was one flashpoint in Canada when Norris collided with Piastri and eliminated himself, losing at least 10 points for a fifth place finish, which is where he was running at the time. 

With those 10 points added back, Norris would actually be leading the standings from his Australian team-mate in the first intra-McLaren fight for the drivers' title since Senna and Prost in 1989. 

That year, F1's fiercest team-mate rivalry erupted after disagreements and perceived favouritism, culminating in Prost winning the title after the pair collided in the Japanese GP, at the final chicane. 

But despite the history of McLaren team-mates battling for the title, Piastri has explained that no such 'Senna-Prost' warning has been handed to himself or Norris.

"Not necessarily. Everybody knows the history of Senna and Prost and that rivalry, and other rivalries outside of McLaren," Piastri told media including RacingNews365 when asked if a 'Senna-Prost' warning had been delivered to himself and Norris.

"You don't really need an example to set the culture that we have at the moment. We're both very conscious that we want this opportunity of having the car and the team in this position for many years to come. 

"The best way we can help as drivers, apart from driving fast, is by giving the team good morale and good confidence and making it a good team environment. 

"That's very important for us this year and going forward. We've all seen how it can go wrong, but we have a lot of reasons to push for it not to go wrong.

"We have been free to race from race one."