Mick Schumacher says he may need to “get his elbows out” when fighting Haas Formula 1 team-mate Nikita Mazepin after another close encounter at the French Grand Prix.

Schumacher attempted to pass Williams driver George Russell midway through the race in a move the didn’t pay off, leaving him vulnerable to an attack from Mazepin at Turn 3.

Mazepin dived down Schumacher’s inside and aggressively forced him off the track, with the German taking to the run-off before rejoining behind his team-mate.

It marks the second run-in between the pair in as many races after Schumacher was left furious at Mazepin’s defensive driving on the final lap in Azerbaijan.

Speaking to Sky Germany after the race, Schumacher felt Mazepin’s aggression had been unnecessary.

“It doesn’t have to be [like that],” Schumacher said. “I think I’ll have to talk to the team about it again.

“At the end of the day, if that’s the way it has to be, then that’s the way it has to be. So we’ll do our thing. I think he’s doing his.”

Schumacher went on to finish ahead of Mazepin after jumping him in the pitstop phase, but reiterated his belief that their battles didn’t need to be overly aggressive.

“I think most people can explain that to themselves, that maybe it doesn’t have to be like that,” Schumacher said. “I think he [Mazepin] was quite open or talkative about it in the press. I think that’s probably his style.

“Maybe we don’t quite understand each other on that level. But at the end of the day, maybe we have to get our elbows out.”

Mazepin brushed off any criticism for the way he raced Schumacher, believing he did nothing wrong in capitalising on the German’s mistake.

“I think just very normal,” Mazepin said. “I think being at the back, opportunities don’t arise very often.

“An opportunity arose, and I was happy that I was alert enough and ready to take that opportunity and capitalise. But in the end, I was not able to hold on to it.”

Haas F1 boss Gunther Steiner previously felt his two drivers racing each other was inevitable given they were almost always together on track, and after reviewing the incident at Paul Ricard shrugged off any concerns with the situation.

“I think in the circumstances it was racing, you know, but it wasn’t unfair,” Steiner said. “In my opinion, it was hard racing.

“Mick tried to overtake George [Russell] is I think what happened, and then he just had to slow down because it didn’t happen. Then Nikita took his chance and went inside.

“I spoke with both of them because I didn’t see the picture completely. So I came to the conclusion it was racing, but it wasn’t unfair.”