Norris had emerged after the final stops behind team-mate Oscar Piastri, as the pair looked set for yet another podium double.
But amid concerns that it could cost valuable time and potentially open the door for fourth-placed George Russell to come through if they raced each other, McLaren intervened to call off the fight.
It came on the team radio to tell Norris to not challenge Piastri ahead, with the pair finishing in that order behind winner Max Verstappen.
“We’re going to hold position,” messaged the team. “Bring it home.”
But Norris quickly responded with: “Why do you want to do that? We have a big gap. I’m clearly a lot quicker.”
The tone of Norris’s response appeared to point to him being frustrated by not having the opportunity to prove his pace against Piastri – especially after his impressive charge through the field from tenth on the grid.
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But team boss Andrea Stella says such an interpretation is wrong, as he revealed that there is a code of conduct between driver and pit wall about being honest if there is unease about any instruction.
“In terms of the message you heard, this is part of our protocol, I would say,” explained Stella, when asked by Autosport about the situation surrounding the radio traffic.
Source: Autosport