During a recent media interview, Lando Norris bizarrely claimed that he should never have led or been put in a position to lead the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix. No, Lando, you were leading the Hungarian Grand Prix on merit. McLaren’s pit wall strategy was flawed, and they should have switched strategies to prioritize you, especially since you were second in the driver’s championship and mathematically capable of overtaking Verstappen’s lead.

However, it is indeed perplexing—and counterintuitive—for a driver competing in motorsport to say post-race that he should not have been in the position to lead a race. Leading the race and winning is the primary directive for any F1 driver; it’s why they compete and what they live for. To suggest that you should not be leading a race for the sake of team harmony raises the question: what are you even doing there in the first place, Lando?

McLaren now has the fastest car and two equally matched drivers, as demonstrated at the recent Hungarian Grand Prix with a front-row qualifying lockout—Norris on pole and teammate Piastri second. In the race, Piastri managed to out-drag Norris into turn one on the opening lap and built up a comfortable lead. Norris, after dropping to third, fought his way back to second.

However, McLaren’s pit wall strategists miscalculated and assumed Norris was engaged in a battle with Lewis Hamilton for second place. By the closing stages of the race, and with the pit stops completed, Norris emerged over 5 seconds ahead, with Piastri in second and Hamilton too far behind to pose a threat.

McLaren had a pre-race gentleman’s agreement that whoever led the race on the opening lap would be prioritized, which disadvantaged Norris. Despite leading the race, Norris, at McLaren’s urging, reluctantly slowed his McLaren and handed victory to Piastri. At this point, McLaren should have reconsidered the agreement and prioritized Norris.

In the world of Formula One, agreements are often made and then disregarded. Norris should have taken matters into his own hands because championships can—and often do—come down to a single point. Norris relinquished 7 points at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Will these lost points come back to haunt him? As the championship race tightens, absolutely.

A message from James Broughton:

Hi there folks, James here, the editors have allowed me to contribute to other outlets, if you’re interested send an email to: [email protected]