BUDAPEST (AP) — Australian driver Oscar Piastre won his first Formula One race after teammate Lando Norris handed him back to win a McLaren one-two at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday.
That excellent result came after a long and sometimes awkward back-and-forth between the British team and its lead driver, before Norris finally obeyed orders to allow Piastre to come forward.
Piastre started second behind the pole-sitting Norris and beat him into the first turn. Norris then moved ahead after a pit-stop strategy that benefited his teammate despite being behind, but he eventually listed the team’s orders and allowed Piastre to take the win.
“It was the day I dreamed of when I was a kid, standing on the top step of the podium,” said Piastre, 23. “It was a bit difficult at the end, but I put myself in a good position from the start.
“I had a lot of faith in Lando, and I think it was a fair decision to switch us back in the end.”
Lewis Hamilton finished third behind the papaya pair on his record-extending 200th career podium.
Points leader Max Verstappen finished fifth behind Charles Leclerc in a Ferrari that has now gone three races without a win. Verstappen still leads the standings with 265 points to Norris’ 189, but the Dutchman has seen Red Bull’s pace advantage evaporate this summer.
Radio drama
McLaren’s epic win will also be remembered for panel debate over which driver will ultimately come out on top.
At first, the team told Piastre that the pit strategy was to make sure Norris kept Hamilton at bay, while asking Norris to give the spot back “at his convenience.”
As Norris remained unmoved with laps ticking by, McLaren told Piastre that he could get back to the front when he caught up with Norris. Finally, the group pleaded with Norris to allow Piastre.
“I know you’ll do the right thing,” the group told Norris. After a long silence, Norris replied, “Tell me to hold him, please.”
The tension continued to mount until Norris loosened up and let Piastre go for two rounds.
Piastre and Norris exchanged a brief handshake as they removed their helmets and were then greeted by McLaren staff and other drivers.
“I don’t know any driver who is happy to change back when leading the race, that’s just not the nature of drivers,” said McLaren team principal Andrea Stella. “That’s why we need to recall our principles… In these battles, Lando will need Oscar’s support and the support of the team.”
Despite coming so close to adding his first F1 victory in Miami in May and closing in on Verstappen’s advantage in the standings, Landau had no harsh words before the winners moved to second place on the podium.
“A fantastic day as a team, that’s the main thing. I’m very happy. It’s been a long journey to get here on merit,” Norris said after his 12th career runner-up finish. “Oscar got off to a good start. (His win) comes in stages , today he deserves it.
When asked directly about his decision to relinquish his leadership, Norris said succinctly: “The team asked me to do it, so I did it, and that’s it.”
Piastre, for his part, took a deep breath before admitting it was a worrying spell when asked how he spent 20-laps behind Norris.
“The longer you leave it, the more nervous you get, but yes, I think it’s the right thing to do,” he said.
Piastre became the seventh different winner in 13 races this season in what started as another outing for three-time defending champion Verstappen but has now turned into a battle. After Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez continued to struggle to finish seventh, Red Bull saw its lead over McLaren extend to 389-338 in the constructors’ championship.
Piastre was champion in F3 and F2 before moving up to motorsports elite competition with McLaren last season. It was Melbourne’s first win in 35 F1 races. Recently finished second in Monaco and Austria twice. His previous biggest F1 achievement was winning the sprint race in Qatar in 2023.
Born in April 2001, Piastre became the first F1 winner born this century.
Verstappen VS Hamilton
With McLaren unchallenged on the track, Hamilton and Verstappen delivered a very exciting run at the Hungaroring.
Hamilton had already held off Verstappen for a long gap before the Dutchman tried to pass him in the closing laps with third place.
But as Verstappen passed Hamilton on the inside of the right-hand corner, he locked his front wheels and slammed his rear into Hamilton’s Mercedes, sending the Red Bull’s rear aero. Verstappen rejoined the race, but lost a place to Leclerc in the process.
“The close battle we had at the end was a bit hair-raising, but that’s racing,” Hamilton said.
Carlos Sainz was sixth in the other Ferrari. Mercedes’ George Russell was eighth behind Perez. RB’s Yuki Tsunoda and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll round out the points standings.
The Hungarian GP marks the start of the second half of the season. Next up is the Belgian GP on July 28.
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