Martin Brundle thinks Lando Norris messed up big time. What exactly happened? Keep reading!
- Norris took too long to let Oscar Piastri pass in Hungary, costing him the win.
- McLaren had clear team orders, but Norris dragged his feet, complicating things.
- Brundle believes Norris should have played the team game, then gone for the win.
- McLaren’s team-first attitude has been crucial to their recent success.
Martin Brundle is not happy with Lando Norris’ decision during the Hungarian Grand Prix. He says Norris waited too long to let Oscar Piastri pass, which cost him the chance to fight for the win. Norris was trying to cover Lewis Hamilton, but it didn’t work out as planned.
At one point, McLaren’s Piastri and Norris were running first and second. Norris was told to let Piastri through after his final pit stop but didn’t comply immediately. Instead, he kept extending his gap. With just three laps to go, Norris finally conceded the lead to Piastri.
Brundle argues that Norris should have conceded the lead earlier to give himself a chance to attack later on. “Comfortably in the lead, Norris became reluctant to make this swap,” Brundle noted in his Sky Sports column.
Norris argued he was fighting for the championship against Max Verstappen and needed the extra points. However, this hesitation may have cost him the win and didn’t impress his team. According to Brundle, “One of the core clauses in any F1 contract is that you will follow team instructions at all times.”
Brundle understands the conflict Norris faced. He recalls a time when he, too, managed a driver who had to make a tough call. However, Brundle highlights the importance of team cooperation, which has been key to McLaren’s recent success.
What should Norris have done? According to Brundle, he should have let Piastri through immediately and then tried to retake the lead. This would have given him the best chance to win while still following team orders.
Norris might have trimmed Verstappen’s lead a bit, but his delayed decision-making cost him a potential win.
Source: Planetf1
