McLaren’s second 1-2 finish since 2010 at the Hungarian GP was overshadowed by Lando Norris’ defiance of team orders. Norris expressed regret for stealing the spotlight from Oscar Piastri’s first Grand Prix victory and McLaren’s achievement, but he does not wish that he had disobeyed the orders and held onto the win. Norris took the lead from Piastri during the race, following McLaren’s strategy to protect against threats from Red Bull and Mercedes. Although he was supposed to give the lead back to Piastri, Norris ignored the orders for 17 laps before finally obeying and allowing his teammate to take the win. Norris acknowledged that both he and the team could have handled the situation better and expressed hope for improvement in the future.
Looking ahead to the rest of the 2024 season, McLaren may need to continue implementing team orders as they remain contenders in both championships. Norris currently trails Verstappen by 76 points in the Drivers’ Championship, but he has been performing strongly since his first F1 win in Miami. Mercedes has also made progress, earning more points and challenging the reigning champion. Red Bull currently leads the constructor’s championship, but their advantage has decreased significantly since the Emilia Romagna GP in May. Sergio Perez has struggled, scoring only 17 points in the past six races compared to Piastri’s 96 points as the second-best McLaren driver. Verstappen’s dominance has also been challenged, and Norris believes that the team will handle similar situations better in the future.
Reflecting on his own actions, Norris admitted that he should have let Piastri pass immediately. He acknowledged that it was a simple decision in hindsight but did not consider it at the time due to being in a good rhythm and performing well. Norris questioned the team’s decision and his own actions but knew that he would eventually have to give up the lead when McLaren boxed him before Piastri. He recognized that he should have let his teammate go earlier and admitted his mistake.
