Lando Norris' emotions after the Hungarian Grand Prix were a complex mix of joy and disappointment, but while yielding the lead in the race to his McLaren Oscar Piastri was a “tough” decision, the Briton knew that it was the right thing to do.
The race, which culminated in a one-two finish for McLaren, saw Piastri take his first full-race victory, a momentous achievement that Norris both celebrated and struggled with.
From the start, the Aussie secured the lead, leaving Norris to trail in P2. As the race progressed, the McLaren team decided to pit Norris first during the second round of pit stops to fend off a threat from Lewis Hamilton.
This strategic move, while justified by the numbers, temporarily placed Norris in the lead after Piastri's pit stop. However, the team soon requested Norris to "reestablish the order," a directive he initially hesitated to follow due to the significant gap between him and Piastri.
After extensive discussions over the radio, Norris slowed enough on Lap 68 of 70 for Piastri to overtake him, leading the McLaren duo to a milestone one-two finish.
Reflecting on the outcome, Norris expressed his joy for the team’s success.
“[I’m] happy for the team. I don’t know when our last one-two in a race was, but probably over 10 years ago or something!” he said.
“Just super happy, I’m happy for Oscar too – I know he won in Qatar [in the Sprint last year], but I think he’ll also say that this win is a lot more than a Sprint win.
"His first proper win, it’s a special moment, so [I’m] happy for him and for the whole team. An incredible weekend for all of us so, yeah, super happy.”
©McLaren
Nevertheless, Norris didn't shy away from the emotional toll of the decision.
“It’s tough, but I know what Oscar’s done for me in the past,” he acknowledged.
“I think this is a little bit different but, yeah, at the same time I got told to let him past and I did. It’s always tough when you’re fighting for a win, and a win means so much to me and also to him.
The 24-year-old described the internal struggle between personal desire and team obligation.
“Yeah, I just had to try put myself in his shoes and understand it that way,” he added.
“Every driver’s selfish and you have to be selfish in this game but, when you’re just thinking of your own benefits, you’re only thinking of the good things. But of course, I put myself in his shoes and I realised I had to do what was right.”
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