Norris: All at McLaren must work to avoid ‘Budapest moments'

Lando Norris, has called on the entire McLaren team – drivers, engineers, and team principal Andrea Stella included – to ensure that the outfit’s title ambitions in 2025 don’t get derailed by internal conflicts like those witnessed at last year’s Hungarian Grand Prix.

Both drivers enjoyed successful campaigns in 2024, with Team Papaya emerging as a strong contender for both championships.

However, the team's season was not without its challenges as McLaren’s strategists struggled to steer their drivers clear of potential flashpoints between the pair.

Norris, while acknowledging Piastri's ambition, emphasized the importance of collective success.

“I know Oscar’s hungry for a championship, and every driver is. And for sure he’s capable of winning a championship, but at the same time, kind of with me taking it one race at a time,” Norris explained.

“That’s our mentality as a team, everyone knows that we want to beat each other, and you want to be the top dog in the team, and that’s normal, that’s the expectation.

“But I don’t think it changes anything. I hope it doesn’t in some ways, I know probably in some ways it will, because that’s competitiveness.

"Every driver wants to go out and prove their point.”

Learning from Hungary

Reflecting on last season’s flashpoint in Budapest, where Norris initially resisted a team order that appeared to jeopardize Piastri’s maiden win, the Briton was candid about the need to avoid similar scenarios this year.

“There’s also responsibility on myself, on Oscar, Andrea, the teams around both of us as drivers, to handle these situations correctly, to, I guess, not have a Budapest few moments and those kind of things,” he explained.

The key, according to Norris, lies in improved communication and setting clearer boundaries.

“In some cases, that will mean some slightly more rules, and tightening up on some things. In some cases, because we might be closer together more often, we might be racing more often.”

Equal Terms, for Now

As the new season begins, Norris confirmed that he and Piastri will start as equals, with no pre-determined hierarchy within the team.

However, he hinted that things could evolve depending on how the championship plays out.

“There isn’t just a ‘this is what’s going to happen, that’s how it’s going to go’,” Norris explained.

“That’s the incorrect way of doing things, but we’ve definitely set a good standard last year of how we can work together as a team.

“Up until Baku [last season], there was no priority over one or the other. It was pretty much you’re fighting each other, you’re racing against each other.

“It’s up to you kind of thing – you just know that you have to leave one more metre when there’s a papaya car there.

“Yeah, honestly, not a lot changes, and if it does, which maybe it will, maybe it won’t, that will just happen throughout the season, weekend by weekend.”

Avoiding the Pitfalls of Success

With the MCL39 expected to be a serious challenger again this season, Norris emphasized the importance of teamwork and learning from past mistakes.

“How we dealt with things last year was very good. But like I just said, it’s a different year. How we start the year, it just changes everything,” Norris concluded.

Whether McLaren can maintain harmony while fighting at the front remains to be seen, but Norris is adamant that every member of the team must pull together to avoid a repeat of last season’s Budapest moments.

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