Lando Norris believes that McLaren may not have achieved recent success in F1 if he hadn’t obeyed team orders at the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix.
Norris pushed back at first against calls to allow teammate Oscar Piastri to pass him after coming out ahead from his final pit stop, but eventually relented with three laps to go. Reflecting on the decision two years later, he believes it was worthwhile for the success of the team.
The British driver was passed by Piastri at the start of 2024 Hungarian GP, with the Australian maintaining the lead of the race until Norris was called in to the pits first to defend his second place. He was able to undercut Piastri on fresher tyres and had secured the lead by the time his teammate completed his pit stop.
The now World Champion initially refused team orders to swap positions with Piastri. He was told by race engineer Will Joseph “The way to win a championship is not by yourself, it’s with the team. You’re going to need Oscar, and you’re going to need the team,” alongside multiple laps worth of pleas over the team radio. Norris eventually slowed to allow Piastri through to win the race.
Reflections on the Beyond the Grid podcast
Speaking on the Beyond the Grid podcast, Norris discussed the sensitive atmosphere within the team if hostility develops between teammates. As well as any personal regret from holding out for the win back in Budapest, he also thinks that McLaren might not have achieved its three titles in the two years since. The Woking-based outfit won two consecutive Constructor’s titles in 2024 and 2025, plus Norris’ Driver’s title in 2025.
“I led the race, and there were so many people like, ‘oh, I wouldn’t have let him back past’, and all of those things. So easy for me to just keep pounding around and win the race. Some people might have loved that, but I genuinely probably wouldn’t have been able to live with that for the rest of my life.”
Norris: ‘If I won that race, McLaren wouldn’t have achieved what they have’
When asked if it would have negatively affected his relationship with his teammate, Norris’ reply showed no doubt that it would have done.
“100 percent. The team wouldn’t be the same as they are now.
“Probably wouldn’t have won the Constructors’ for the last two years, which probably means we wouldn’t have won the Drivers’ Championship. I wouldn’t have won the Drivers’ Championship last year; that’s how easy it is for things to go wrong in Formula 1.
“So, I think if I won that race, McLaren wouldn’t have achieved what they have over the last few years.”
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