Lando Norris bested McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri to victory at the Hungarian GP, with a bold strategy decision key for the Briton.
Norris suffered the disappointment of starting P3 at the Hungaroring, but bounced back to grab victory. While Piastri opted for a two-stop, Norris managed his tyres well and delivered a one-stop strategy in the race. Victory for the Briton gives him valuable extra points over Piastri, closing the gap in the Drivers’ Championship.
Speaking in Parc Ferme Norris lifted the lid on a “tough” but “rewarding” victory, praising the strategy that led him to it.
Norris elated after Hungarian GP victory
Piastri pushed Norris right to the end of the Hungarian GP, as the papaya drivers dueled for a race victory which could prove crucial at the end of the season. Reacting to his effort, Norris feels rewarded with the ideal result after such hard work.
“I’m dead. I’m dead. It was tough, it was tough. You know, we weren’t really planning on the one stop at the beginning, but after the first lap was kind of our only option to get back into things.
“ But it was tough, yeah. I was pushing flat out [with Piastri catching]. Pretty good, rewarding, you know, even more because of that, but the perfect result today.”
A strategy gamble for Norris paid off
Norris was one of a handful of drivers who opted for a one-stop strategy at the Hungarian GP. Having initially felt it would not lead to a race win, Norris describes how he and the team put all the pieces together to take the victory.
“I didn’t think it would probably get us to win, I thought maybe it would get us at least into second. I knew our pace was good. Even in the first stint behind George, I couldn’t get past, but the pace was strong. So I knew if I just had some clean air and I could push, that I could maybe make things work, and that’s what we did.
“So, yeah, it’s always a bit of a gamble, these kind of things. But it also requires, you know, no mistakes, good laps, good strategy, all these things, and that’s what we had today, so I’m very happy.”
Norris on the Drivers’ Championship battle
Victory for Norris reduces Piastri’s lead in the Drivers’ Championship to just nine points. Norris knows that there is still a long way to go before drawing any conclusions, as Formula 1 heads into its summer break.
Asked on if momentum had shifted towards him, Norris stated: “It’s hard to say if momentum’s on anyone’s side, but we’re fighting hard,” and added, “He put up a good charge, and I just about held on.”
Norris also touched on victory at the Hungarian GP being McLaren’s 200th in F1: “This is tough, but fun racing with Oscar, and great for us as a team. 200th win, actually, in Formula 1.”
