F1 News
Debate: Were McLaren right to use team orders and give Piastri the win?
Oscar Piastri sealed his maiden win in Formula 1 at the Hungarian Grand Prix. That should be the biggest talking point after the race. But it is anything but as a team order debacle now hangs over McLaren. Piastri's teammate Lando Norris took the lead of the race after he undercut Piastri in the second round of stops. However, after leading from turn 1 and driving a near-faultless race, McLaren ordered Norris to let Piastri back through. Were McLaren right? Or should Norris have taken the win? GPblog asks that very question!
Were McLaren right to use team orders and give Piastri the win?
Norris started the Grand Prix in Budapest on pole position, but a move up the inside into the first corner meant that Piastri took the lead of the race. The Australian then showed great pace and consistency to stretch out a gap between him and Norris and did not look under threat at the front of the grid.
However, during the second round of stops, Norris undercut Piastri, meaning that when the Australian pitted a few laps later, he was behind the Brit. Now the initiative was with Norris. He took the lead of the race and was now finding more pace than Piastri, slowing creating a gap in front. However, over te team radio, Norris was told by his engineer, Will Joseph, to let Piastri through 'at his convenience.' The laps went by, and the gap increased, and it looked like Norris would hold out and take what would have been a contentious victory.
However, after being hounded by his engineer on the radio, Norris finally let Piastri though with three laps to go, giving the Australian his maiden win in F1, and giving McLaren a 1-2. However, the manner of victory will be discussed for quite a while, and GPblog would like to know what the readers think. Were McLaren right to use team orders and give Piastri the win? Let us know down below in the poll, and be sure to comment why you think that too!
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16 September 2024
