McLaren’s Strategy Mistake Embarrasses Team, Say International Media

The Hungarian Grand Prix was filled with drama, especially for McLaren.

Oscar Piastri‘s first win in Formula 1 got overshadowed by team orders that had Lando Norris slow down to let him pass near the end.

Bild: ‘Peace secured’

German newspaper Bild thinks McLaren messed up by pitting Norris before Piastri. They said, “McLaren asks for a stop – first Piastri, then Norris. And suddenly Norris is in front of the Australian. Oops, was that what they wanted? The radio says that the two drivers need to swap places back. Peace in the team was eventually secured – and so the victory was Oscar Piastri’s, who stood at the top of the podium for the first time.”

L’Equipe: ‘McLaren embarrassed’

French outlet L’Equipe believes team orders are tough but necessary. They noted, “Team orders are sometimes difficult to accept, but they must be respected. Lando Norris, who is very fast at the wheel of his ever-powerful McLaren, may regret it, but Oscar Piastri can be pleased.” The article pointed out how awkward it was for McLaren and mentioned a tense debriefing session might follow.

Fans might think this whole situation feels unfair to Norris.

Marca: ‘Norris forgot family members’

Spanish sports paper Marca criticized McLaren’s decisions and highlighted how hard it is not to be selfish when winning is possible. They wrote, “The final image of the 1-2 is blurred, but Lando did the right thing by braking at the end to hand victory to his teammate. It is clear that among teammates, even the best when a win is at stake, you forget who your family members are.” This shows how competitive things can get on track .

Gazzetta: ‘Degree of suspense’

Italian outlet Gazzetta focused on McLaren’s confusing pitstop strategy and praised Norris for handling it well despite his frustration. They described how pit stops shuffled positions until late instructions were followed with just three laps left. After many radio messages and some suspenseful moments, Norris let Piastri pass on a straightaway as agreed.

What do you think about these team orders? Fair or not?