Lando Norris Expresses Regret Over Overshadowing Oscar Piastri’s First F1 Win

Lando Norris has shared his disappointment over the way he overshadowed his teammate Oscar Piastri’s first Formula 1 victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Despite McLaren securing a 1-2 finish, with Piastri taking his maiden win, the race was marred by a controversial pit-stop decision and Norris’s initial reluctance to cede the lead.

During the race at the Hungaroring, Piastri led for much of the event until a strategic pit-stop call from McLaren allowed Norris to temporarily take the lead. The team then instructed Norris to relinquish the position to Piastri, which led to a tense radio exchange. Norris initially resisted, emphasizing his need for points to challenge Max Verstappen in the championship. However, with only three laps remaining, Norris complied with the team’s order.

Reflecting on the situation before the Belgian Grand Prix, Norris expressed regret about his actions. “Could it have been handled slightly differently from both a team side and a personal side? Yes, absolutely,” he admitted. Norris acknowledged that his actions unintentionally overshadowed Piastri’s achievement. “The fact that we had a 1-2 and that was barely a headline after the race is something I felt worse about.”

Norris also noted that the way the situation unfolded was less than ideal. “We discussed it and spoke about it, and both sides could have done things a bit better and a little bit differently. It’s almost not good that we had it, but a good moment that we’ve had it, we’ve learned from it, and hopefully it’s done better next time.”

When asked what he would have done differently, Norris said, “Just let him [Piastri] past straight away. It was such a stupid thing that I didn’t because we’re free to race. I could have just let him past and still tried to overtake and race him. It sounds so simple now, but it wasn’t something that went through my head at the time.”

Despite the regrets, Norris emphasized the importance of the learning experience. “I questioned it at the time, questioned the team a few times. But I knew from the moment they boxed me ahead of him that I was going to have to let him go. I was a bit silly and didn’t let him go earlier.”

As the Formula 1 season progresses into round 14 in Belgium, Norris trails Verstappen by 76 points, with Piastri a further 40 points behind. However, McLaren has managed to narrow the gap to Red Bull to just 51 points, aiming to secure their first constructors’ title since 1998.

In closing, Norris addressed whether he had conveyed his regrets to Piastri. “I think he knows. We spoke straight away and did a lot of our interviews together. I said I felt bad for what happened and the way his first win went. I hope he knows it in that way, and I think he does, so I’m fine with it.”