Lando Norris explains how he avoided Oscar Piastri’s late lunge to win the Hungarian GP, ‘I was watching’

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Lando Norris claimed one of the finest victories of his Formula 1 career so far after holding off a late charge from his teammate at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Despite being on the preferred strategy, Oscar Piastri failed to catch and pass his title rival in the closing stages of the 71-lap race in Budapest.

It means that they enter the summer break separated by just nine points in the drivers’ championship, with everything still to play for over the last 10 races. Norris has kept himself in contention.

The size of McLaren’s advantage means that the battle for the crown is a two-horse race between their own drivers, and it’s sure to intensify over the next few months.

Piastri has been slammed for a ‘hopeless’ act by sending such a late divebomb on his teammate on the penultimate lap of the race. It could have ended far worse.

However, McLaren management were ‘thrilled’ with Norris and Piastri for the way that they handled their fight on track. They believe they stuck to their rules of engagement.

READ MORE: Andrea Stella has been constantly telling Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri the same thing amid 2025 title fight

Lando Norris avoided late Oscar Piastri lunge by ‘watching’ his mirrors at the Hungarian Grand Prix

McLaren boss Andrea Stella wasn’t ‘keen’ to criticise Piastri for his late attempt to overtake his teammate at the Hungaroring.

It was inches from disaster, and it never really looked like the door was open for a move. The dramatic double lock-up shows how little control the Australian driver had over his car at the time.

Some felt that Piastri’s strategy was doomed to fail as soon as he had to make an extra stop, but it was considered to be the best option on the day.

Speaking about how the final laps unfolded, Norris mentioned to the F1 Nation podcast that he wasn’t sure if his actions caused Piastri to avoid hitting him. He was watching his every move, though.

“I must have, I probably [did] a little squirt on the throttle,” he said. “I don’t actually know, because it’s all instincts then.

“I was watching my mirror, so I probably had a little like [grunts squirmishly]. A little off the brake and back on. I’d have to check, I don’t actually know the answer.”

READ MORE: Lando Norris’ Hungarian Grand Prix win suggests he’s now overcome ‘very weak’ McLaren issue

Why Lando Norris received a ‘telling off’ from McLaren at the Hungarian Grand Prix

While Piastri showed he’s no Ayrton Senna, according to Jacques Villeneuve, he did at least give making a move a go. The racer inside him didn’t want to give up.

It’s that sort of trait which will be crucial over the next four months, if he wants to win a maiden title in just his third season. The last driver to reach the top that quickly was Lewis Hamilton.

Norris received a ‘telling off’ from McLaren on his way to winning in Hungary, as they warned him about making mistakes.

They knew that they had little margin for error on his strategy, and it’s likely that even the smallest of offs would have seen Piastri find a way past before the end of the race. It was the correct call.