Red Bull Boss Christian Horner Criticizes McLaren’s Decision to Have Norris Surrender Lead in Hungarian GP
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has expressed his disagreement with McLaren’s strategy during the Hungarian Grand Prix, where Lando Norris was instructed to surrender the lead to teammate Oscar Piastri. This controversial decision has sparked considerable debate within the Formula 1 community, especially given Norris’s position as the closest title challenger to Max Verstappen.
During the race, McLaren ordered Norris to allow Piastri through after the Australian driver pitted early from the lead to fend off Lewis Hamilton. Although Piastri eventually secured his first Formula One victory, Norris had led the race for 20 laps before conceding his position to his teammate. Horner, reflecting on the incident, stated he would not have made such a call if he were in charge of McLaren.
“Lando is the experienced driver and the number one driver I assume,” said Horner. “It’s standard practice to give the lead driver the first stop and they could have done that quite easily with Oscar. But they gave a two-lap undercut to Lando, so obviously wanted him ahead of Oscar. Having put him ahead, it’s tough on the driver to say ‘we want you to drop behind your teammate.'”
This decision came under scrutiny as Norris is the closest title challenger to Verstappen and will need every point he can get to prevent the Dutchman from winning a fourth successive world championship. Horner emphasized the importance of prioritizing the lead driver, especially when championship points are at stake. “If this championship is lost by seven points at the end of the year, every point counts at the end of the day. Different teams go racing in a different way, but Lando is the closest challenger and you have to put your eggs in one basket at some point.”
Despite the criticism, Norris has insisted there is no need to designate him as the team’s number one driver at this stage. However, the situation in Budapest has certainly added tension to McLaren’s camp, with many questioning the wisdom of their decision.
Meanwhile, Horner also addressed the recent tensions within the Red Bull team following a series of heated conversations over the team radio in Hungary. Verstappen was accused of showing a lack of respect during the episode, but Horner insists the relationship within the team remains strong. “Max was pretty sporty in his communication, but if you had a microphone on every footballer in the Premier League, I’m sure you would hear some fairly vibrant language. Max is a passionate racer and races with his heart on his sleeve. That’s part of what makes Max as good as he is.”
Horner further explained that such passionate expressions are natural in the high-pressure environment of Formula 1. “It’s not personal or meant to offend anyone. In the world of F1, you interview him before he gets in the car, they have a microphone while driving the car, shove a microphone under their nose as soon as they get out of the car, so it’s natural there will be an element of venting.”
He confirmed that any issues were quickly addressed and resolved. “We talk about things. GP (Gianpiero Lambiase, Verstappen’s race engineer) and Max have had a great relationship over eight years. They know each other inside out. We talked about it on Thursday and quickly moved on.”
The Hungarian Grand Prix incident underscores the intense personal dynamics and high emotions that drive Formula 1. As the season progresses, all eyes will be on how these rivalries and relationships evolve, particularly in the high-stakes battle for the championship. The next few races will be crucial in determining whether McLaren’s strategy will pay off or if it will be a decision they come to regret.
