Key McLaren call on Lando Norris under question with potential title implications

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri shake hands.

Damon Hill questioned McLaren’s decision to force Lando Norris to cede position to Oscar Piastri at the Hungarian Grand Prix, given the potential implications in a close title fight.

Norris is currently the closest driver to Max Verstappen in the World Championship standings, 78 points behind the Red Bull driver, but when he profited from an early pit stop call at the Hungaroring while Piastri was leading, he took multiple laps of convincing before he eventually handed his team-mate the lead of the race once again.

Lando Norris Hungarian GP team order questioned in ‘close’ potential title fight

McLaren explained at the time that Norris was brought in to pit before his team-mate to cover the threat of a driver behind, though it broke the long-standing protocol of the lead driver taking priority on track.

Norris took the lead of the race by being able to push on fresh tyres while Piastri stayed out on used rubber, but after he did eventually pit, the team set about restoring the order of the drivers, with Norris eventually doing so after a lengthy team radio back-and-forth on the pit wall.

The British driver expressed regret he did not move over immediately, given the McLaren duo were free to race at the front of the field, so he could have fought for victory, but Hill explained that in a close World Championship battle with Red Bull, McLaren could have given the driver currently ahead in the standings more of a chance against Verstappen heading into the second half of the season by keeping him ahead.

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“They’ll still be difficult to catch,” Hill told the F1 Nation podcast in reference to Red Bull.

“So given that, why would you then allow the closest rival to him, 78 points behind, Lando Norris, why would you deprive him of seven points?”

When challenged by co-host Tom Clarkson about bringing the Hungarian Grand Prix back up weeks after the race, the 1996 World Champion replied: “I am sorry, but I think this is what we want to see in Formula 1. We want to see a challenge to the guys at the front.

“And if it’s going to be close, it could be a whole lot closer – it could be seven points closer.

“If Lando manages to solve his getting off the line problems, or various early part of the race issues that have deprived him of a lot of points, actually, recently, then if he can solve that, then maybe it will be a close fight – but then Oscar has a right, too.

“The people who scored the most points as a team are Mercedes over the last few races. So, I would like to see it close up towards the end. Of course I would, so would everyone, we want to see that thrilling finale.

“The Hungary thing was difficult. I’ve been into this before, so I don’t want to go over it all again. But the point is, if they don’t win the World Championship this year with Lando or with Oscar, let’s say Lando who’s closest, and they miss out by a few points, they will look back at Hungary and go, why did we do that?”

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