Piastri wins in Hungary after Norris team orders row

Monday, 22 July 2024 00:19 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Oscar Piastri took his maiden grand prix victory in a McLaren one-two ahead of Lando Norris in a dramatic race in Hungary amid a heated row over team orders.

Behind them, in a race full of see-sawing action, old rivals Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen collided as they disputed third place.

Both continued, but Hamilton held on to third and the Red Bull driver, his race full radio messages peppered with swearing, dropped back to finish fifth behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. McLaren’s team orders controversy unfolded as they tried to manage their way to a one-two, their first since the 2021 Italian Grand Prix.

Piastri led Norris for most of the race after taking the lead in a three-car fight between them and Verstappen around the first corner.

But an earlier final pit stop for Norris – made by McLaren to protect him against Hamilton’s Mercedes, which had stopped earlier – put him ahead of Piastri.

Norris was repeatedly asked to slow and let Piastri back past, and reminded of his responsibility to the team, but he refused to do so until just two laps from the end.

Hamilton and Verstappen’s incident happened on lap 63 as the Red Bull driver dived for the inside at Turn One.