The last few laps of the 2024 Hungarian GP were tense for McLaren, with its drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in P1 and P2 respectively. However, Norris would have never been in P1, had McLaren not pitted him before Piastri. And since the Aussie led for the majority of the race, McLaren ordered Norris to switch positions.
Norris, however, did not show any sign that he was going to let Piastri by. For several laps, he kept putting in faster times, and asked his team why they pitted him first if they wanted Piastri to win. At one point, with just three laps to go, it seemed as though Norris would not agree to the team orders, but on lap 68 (of 70), he slowed down.
LAP 68/70
NORRIS LETS PIASTRI THROUGH! OSCAR PIASTRI LEADS THE HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX ONCE MORE! #F1 #HungarianGP
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 21, 2024
Piastri passed him and won his first-ever F1 Grand Prix. But why Norris waited so long to comply became a topic of discussion after the race. The British driver said,
“I don’t deserve to win the race. It’s that simple. I shouldn’t have been in this position at all. I knew I would return the place anyway”.
As it turns out, Formel1 reports that Norris wanted to wait until the last corner before allowing Piastri to go for the win. He likely thought of the same because McLaren should never have put him, or Piastri in the situation.
However, he didn’t go ahead with a last-corner switch because of something his team told him mid-race.
Why Norris let Piastri by with two laps to go
Piastri passed Norris on lap 68, after which both McLaren cars held their ground to bring home the Woking-based outfit’s first one-two finish since 2021. Norris did not wait until the final corner of the final lap because McLaren brought up the possibility of a safety car coming out.
Had that happened, the field would be bunched up together, and allowing Piastri to pass Norris would have been risky, with other cars right behind. In fact, if the potential safety car had not let the race resume, it would not have allowed the two McLarens to swap places and the controversy would have become bigger.
It could have also compromised a one-two or even the win for the Woking outfit. As such, Norris slowed down in the main straight on lap 68. He did not seem particularly happy about it, but to play the team game, the Briton helped Piastri out.
