McLaren's pit strategy sparks controversy overshadowing Piastri's maiden victory
SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium -- McLaren's Lando Norris has candidly expressed his disappointment that controversial team orders during the Hungarian Grand Prix detracted from Oscar Piastri's first Formula 1 victory.
During last weekend’s race, with McLaren closing in on a 1-2 finish, strategic decisions saw Norris pitted before Piastri to fend off a potential threat from Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton. However, this move put Piastri behind Norris after his own pit stop, leading to McLaren instructing Norris to return the lead to his teammate, Piastri.
Despite firm orders, it took Norris 15 laps to hand the position back to Piastri, which he insists was always his intention. This protracted exchange of positions, marked by heated radio messages, has since been a focal point of discussion.
Reflecting before the Belgian Grand Prix, Norris admitted, "Both from a team and personal perspective, handling of the situation could have been better." He added, "It’s regrettable that the drama overshadowed Oscar's well-deserved first win."
He acknowledged that the team's impressive 1-2 finish was overshadowed by the controversy. "The fact that our achievement wasn’t the highlight post-race is something that I regret deeply," said Norris.
The Briton also revealed that both he and the team have had constructive discussions since. “We’ve talked it through and identified areas for improvement. While it’s not ideal that it happened, it was a learning moment for us all,” he stated.
In hindsight, Norris admitted he should have acted faster. "Looking back, I should have let Oscar through immediately. It’s a straightforward thing, but at that moment, it slipped my mind," he said. "I was in a strong rhythm and questioned the team’s calls bit longer than I should have."
From Piastri’s viewpoint, he understood Norris' competitive nature but was caught off guard by the delay. "It's natural for a driver to want to win, but I did expect the position to be handed back a bit sooner," Piastri said.
Piastri emphasized the difficulty in foreseeing every race scenario. "We can’t plan for everything; this situation was unique. But understanding how to deal with it better next time is key," he noted.
Ultimately, while Norris felt the weight of overshadowing Piastri's victory, Piastri saw it as an understandable aspect of racing. "I'm not surprised by Lando's instincts to hold the lead; it’s a race driver's natural inclination," Piastri concluded.
As McLaren looks ahead, the team aims to apply these lessons to future races, ensuring that their collective achievements are celebrated the way they should be, free of controversy.
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