The 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix was memorable, but not for the reasons one might expect. Instead of thrilling races, drama on team radios took center stage.
Max Verstappen spent much of the race venting at his engineer after being forced to concede P2 to Lando Norris in the early laps. He slammed the team’s strategy, calling it ‘shit’ and accusing them of ‘fucking up my race.’ A later collision with Lewis Hamilton saw him trying to influence race control, only for his engineer to call his behavior ‘childish.’
Red Bull wasn’t the only team facing radio drama. McLaren pitted Lando Norris before his teammate Oscar Piastri, aiming to cover an undercut from Hamilton. The data, however, showed that this was unnecessary, as McLaren’s pace was far superior. After his final stop, Piastri found himself behind Norris, now on fresher tires. Despite this, Norris was not informed about the strategy and was only asked to let Piastri pass ‘at your convenience.’ Norris refused but eventually conceded with just two laps to go, handing Piastri the victory. He was clearly unhappy, stating curtly over the radio, ‘Yeah, you don’t need to say anything.’
In the cool-down room, things got tense between Norris, Piastri, and Hamilton. Hamilton remarked on McLaren’s speed, to which Norris replied, ‘Yeah, well, you had a fast car seven years ago.’ Hamilton responded, ‘Seven years ago? That’s a long time. Were you even here seven years ago?’ The exchange ended with Norris saying, ‘Well you had it. You had a quick car. You made the most of it. Now it’s us.’
Later, Hamilton suggested Norris’s reaction stemmed from inexperience. ‘It didn’t bother me, no,’ he said. ‘Look, I’m nearly 40 years old. I remember being in my mid-twenties and saying things I would’ve said differently. For a driver who thinks they should’ve won, your emotions are firing.’ He added that it’s an age thing, and he didn’t take it personally.
Hamilton shared his past struggles, mentioning how he locked himself away for three days after a disappointing result at a similar age. He advised against it, stressing the importance of continuing to perform well, and praised the current drivers and their cars.
Despite the drama, the racing continues. Norris was seen in tears, upset over losing crucial points to Verstappen. Historically, only James Hunt has overcome a larger deficit to win the championship, and other iconic drivers like Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel have had significant comebacks. With 310 points still up for grabs this season, Norris needs to outscore Verstappen by an average of 6.9 points per race weekend.
Hamilton was also asked about obeying team orders. Although noting it’s a difficult choice, he emphasized team unity. ‘If I was in that situation, I would do what the team asked me to do,’ he said, citing an instance from 2016 when disobeying orders nearly cost him. Mercedes leader Toto Wolff later stated, ‘Anarchy doesn’t work in any team or any company. Undermining public structure means you’re putting yourself before the team.’
The Hungarian Grand Prix showcased on-track action and off-track tensions, highlighting the intense emotions and strategic maneuvers that define the sport. With more races ahead, fans can look forward to seeing how these rivalries unfold.
