McLaren's Lando Norris said he regrets overshadowing teammate Oscar Piastri's first Formula One victory and their one-two at the Hungarian Grand Prix when he ignored team pleas to hand back the lead before finally giving way.
Norris started on pole position on Sunday, but Piastri took the lead at the start and remained ahead until the second round of pit stops when McLaren brought in Norris first to cover against rivals behind.
Norris took advantage, gaining the lead but with more than 20 laps to race, McLaren told the Briton to allow Piastri back in front. Norris eventually ceded with three laps remaining.
“It's such a stupid thing that I didn't (let him past immediately) because we were free to race, so I could have let him past and try to overtake and race him,” Norris said ahead of this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix.
“Sounds so simple but it's not something that went through my head at the time. But I was in a good rhythm, and things were going well at the time. I questioned it at the time, questioned the team a few times.”
Norris said he regrets that Piastri's win was not the main news after the race, and said the incident could have been dealt with better, by himself and the team.
“Could it have been handled slightly differently from a team side and a personal side? Yes, absolutely, and I think we wouldn't be having this conversation in some ways,” Norris said.
“The things I could have done, that I clouded over Oscar's first race win in Formula One is something I've not felt proud about.
“The fact we had a one-two, and that was barely a headline after the race. That's the kind of thing I felt worse about.”
Despite Norris being second in the drivers' championship behind Max Verstappen, and the team orders costing him valuable points, he does not think McLaren should always put him first.
“No, because that had nothing to do with last week,” he said.
“I shouldn't have led the race, that's the end of it. I shouldn't have been in the lead. Oscar got me off the line, he controlled it well. That was it.
“If Oscar was leading the whole race, there's absolutely zero reason for them to ask him to suddenly let me past, if you're thinking of it from a championship point of view.
“I don't know when that point is, if I'm 10 points behind, 15 points behind, whatever. I don't know when that point is, and that's not my decision.”
Norris is 76 points behind Verstappen in the championship with 11 of 24 races remaining.
Norris regrets overshadowing Piastri’s maiden F1 victory
Image: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images
McLaren's Lando Norris said he regrets overshadowing teammate Oscar Piastri's first Formula One victory and their one-two at the Hungarian Grand Prix when he ignored team pleas to hand back the lead before finally giving way.
Norris started on pole position on Sunday, but Piastri took the lead at the start and remained ahead until the second round of pit stops when McLaren brought in Norris first to cover against rivals behind.
Norris took advantage, gaining the lead but with more than 20 laps to race, McLaren told the Briton to allow Piastri back in front. Norris eventually ceded with three laps remaining.
“It's such a stupid thing that I didn't (let him past immediately) because we were free to race, so I could have let him past and try to overtake and race him,” Norris said ahead of this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix.
“Sounds so simple but it's not something that went through my head at the time. But I was in a good rhythm, and things were going well at the time. I questioned it at the time, questioned the team a few times.”
Norris said he regrets that Piastri's win was not the main news after the race, and said the incident could have been dealt with better, by himself and the team.
“Could it have been handled slightly differently from a team side and a personal side? Yes, absolutely, and I think we wouldn't be having this conversation in some ways,” Norris said.
“The things I could have done, that I clouded over Oscar's first race win in Formula One is something I've not felt proud about.
“The fact we had a one-two, and that was barely a headline after the race. That's the kind of thing I felt worse about.”
Despite Norris being second in the drivers' championship behind Max Verstappen, and the team orders costing him valuable points, he does not think McLaren should always put him first.
“No, because that had nothing to do with last week,” he said.
“I shouldn't have led the race, that's the end of it. I shouldn't have been in the lead. Oscar got me off the line, he controlled it well. That was it.
“If Oscar was leading the whole race, there's absolutely zero reason for them to ask him to suddenly let me past, if you're thinking of it from a championship point of view.
“I don't know when that point is, if I'm 10 points behind, 15 points behind, whatever. I don't know when that point is, and that's not my decision.”
Norris is 76 points behind Verstappen in the championship with 11 of 24 races remaining.
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