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BUDAPEST (AP) — Australian driver Oscar Piastri won his first Formula 1 race after teammate Lando Norris restored his lead to complete a McLaren one-two at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday.
The remarkable result came after a long and uncomfortable back-and-forth between the British team and its top driver before Norris finally obeyed orders to leave Piastri back in front.
Piastri took the lead, second pole holder Norris, and passed him into the first corner. Norris then took the lead after a prevention strategy in the pits that favored him despite being his teammate, but in the end he listened to the team’s orders and let Piastri take the victory.
“This is the day I dreamed of as a child, to be on the most sensible step of the podium,” said Piastri, 23. “It was a little confusing in the end, but I put myself in a smart position from the beginning.
“I had a lot of confidence in Lando and I think it was a fair decision to convince us in the end. “
Lewis Hamilton finished third with the papaya pair for his career-record 200th podium.
The points leader, Max Verstappen, finished fifth behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and is now 3 races without a win. Verstappen still leads the standings with 265 problems to Norris’ 189, but the Dutchman has noticed that Red Bull’s speed merit evaporates this summer.
RADIO DRAMA
McLaren’s huge win will also be remembered for the team’s debate over who would emerge victorious in the end.
Initially, the team told Piastri of the pit strategy to ensure that Norris could simply keep Hamilton at bay, while asking Norris to return to the position “at his convenience. “
As the laps ticked by and Norris didn’t move, McLaren told Piastri that he could get the credit back if he caught Norris. Finally, the team turned to Norris to let Piastri through.
“I know you’ll do the right thing,” he told Norris. After a long silence, Norris responded “tell him to catch up and then please. “
The tension increased until Norris eased up and let Piastri pass with two laps remaining.
Piastri and Norris exchanged a brief handshake as they cut off their helmets and were later congratulated by McLaren and other drivers.
“I don’t know any driver who, when leading the race, is content to drop back, that’s not the nature of drivers,” said McLaren team principal Andrea Stella. “That’s why we have to remember our principles. . . in those battles, Lando will want the Array from Oscar and the team”
Norris had no harsh words before taking second place on the winners’ podium, even though he came so close to adding his first F1 win in Miami in May, and further reducing Verstappen’s merit in the rankings.
“A normal day as a team, that’s the most important thing. I’m very happy. It’s been a long adventure to get there on merit,” said Norris after 12th second place in his career. A smart start (his win) came at some point and he earned it today.
When asked directly about the decision to relinquish his leadership, Norris responded dryly: “The team asked me to do it, so I did it, that’s all. “
Piastri, for his part, took a deep breath when asked how he got through Norris’ 20 laps before admitting it was a worrying moment.
“The more you leave it, the more nervous you get, but yes, I think it’s the right thing to do,” he said.
Piastri has become the seventh winner in thirteen races this season, which might look like another cruise for three-time defending champion Verstappen, but has now turned into a fight. Red Bull saw its lead in the constructors’ championship reduced to 389. 338 over McLaren, after Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez continued to fight and finished seventh.
Piastri was an F3 and F2 champion before making the leap to the festival of elite motorsport last season with McLaren. It is the Melbourne native’s first win in 35 F1 races. He recently finished second twice, in Monaco and Austria. His greatest achievement in F1 was winning the sprint race. in Qatar in 2023.
Born in April 2001, Piastri is the first F1 winner born in this century.
VERSTAPPEN VS. HAMILTON
While McLaren was unrivalled on track, Hamilton and Verstappen offered maximum excitement behind the wheel at the Hungaroring.
Hamilton had already held off Verstappen for a long time before the Dutchman tried to overtake him in the closing laps with third on the line.
But when Verstappen ran past Hamilton into a right-hand bend, he locked his front wheels and his back hit Hamilton’s Mercedes, sending the rear of the Red Bull into the air before going off the track. Verstappen returned to the race but lost a position to Leclerc.
“The fight we had at the end was a bit scary, but that’s racing,” Hamilton said.
Carlos Sainz was sixth with the other Ferrari. Mercedes’ George Russell was eighth, Pérez. RB’s Yuki Tsunoda and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll closed out the problematic positions.
The Hungarian GP marks the beginning of the second part of the season. The next event is the Belgian GP on July 28.
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AP Motor Racing: https://apnews. com/hub/auto-racing