Damon Hill has raised eyebrows over McLaren’s decision to make Lando Norris cede his position to Oscar Piastri at the Hungarian Grand Prix, considering the potential impact on a tight title race.
Norris, who is currently trailing Max Verstappen by 78 points in the World Championship standings, found himself in the spotlight after benefiting from an early pit stop at the Hungaroring while Piastri was leading. However, the situation became complicated when Norris, after being given fresh tires, took several laps before returning the lead to his teammate.
McLaren explained that they had pitted Norris early to fend off a threat from a driver behind, breaking the usual protocol where the leading driver is given priority. As a result, Norris gained the lead by pushing on fresh tires while Piastri stayed out on worn ones. After Norris eventually pitted, the team decided to restore the original order, leading to a prolonged exchange over team radio before Norris complied.
Norris voiced regret for not moving over immediately, noting that he could have potentially fought for victory if the McLaren duo had been left to race at the front. Hill, reflecting on this, pointed out that in a close World Championship battle against Red Bull, McLaren might have bolstered Norris’s chances against Verstappen by keeping him ahead. Hill questioned, “So given that, why would you then allow the closest rival to him, 78 points behind, Lando Norris, why would you deprive him of seven points?”
When co-host Tom Clarkson brought up the Hungarian Grand Prix weeks after the race on the F1 Nation podcast, Hill reiterated his stance, arguing that fans want to see a challenge to the front-runners. He added, “If it’s going to be close, it could be a whole lot closer – it could be seven points closer.” Moreover, Hill suggested that if Norris resolves his early race issues, it could indeed be a close fight. However, he also acknowledged that Oscar Piastri has a right to compete as well.
Hill emphasized that Mercedes has been scoring the most points as a team recently and expressed a desire for a thrilling finale towards the end of the season. Discussing the Hungarian Grand Prix decision, Hill remarked, “If they don’t win the World Championship this year with Lando or with Oscar, let’s say Lando who’s closest, and they miss out by a few points, they will look back at Hungary and go, why did we do that?”
The decision at the Hungarian Grand Prix remains a contentious one, with potential title implications for Lando Norris and McLaren. Only time will reveal whether it was a pivotal moment in the championship battle.
