Norris savors his strategic victory: « I managed to hang on until the end »

Lando Norris transformed a poor start into a brilliant victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix. The Briton claimed his fifth win of the season thanks to a bold one-stop strategy, holding off teammate Oscar Piastri in the final laps and thus reducing his championship deficit to nine points.

When error becomes opportunity

The race had started poorly for Norris. Starting third on the grid, he dropped to fifth place at the first corner after a failed maneuver on Piastri. This initial mistake paradoxically opened the door to a different strategic approach, as the McLaren driver explained after the race: “It was tough. At first, we didn’t plan to make just one stop, but after the first lap, it was kind of our only option to get back into the race,” acknowledged Norris, still marked by the intensity of this 70-lap race. This strategic adaptation proved successful when McLaren decided to keep him on the track longer than his rivals.

While Piastri and Charles Leclerc were making their first pit stops, Norris was gradually climbing up the order. When it was his turn to stop on the 32nd lap, the team offered him a significant challenge: to cover 40 laps on the same set of hard tires. A proposal he accepted without hesitation.

« I didn’t think it would allow us to win, I thought it would lead us to second place. I knew our pace was good even in the first stint behind George [Russell], I couldn’t get past him, but the pace was strong. I knew that if I had clean air and could push, I might be able to make things work, and that’s what we did. » This confidence in his McLaren’s capabilities proved justified, even though the British driver admits it was « always a bit of a gamble with this kind of thing, but it also requires zero mistakes, good laps, a good strategy, all that, and that’s what we had today ».

A high-pressure end to the race

The last laps tested Norris’s nerves. Piastri, having pitted later with fresh tires, came back at an impressive speed, reducing a gap of over eight seconds to less than a second in the final laps. The pressure was immense, especially since every mistake could cost the victory.

« It was complicated in the last relay with Oscar coming back, I was pushing hard, so I lost my voice a little. It feels good and is all the more rewarding, but it’s a good result today », Norris said. The most critical moment came in the penultimate lap, when Piastri tried to overtake, narrowly avoiding a collision. This tense finale made the victory all the more significant for the British driver.

A more than tight championship

This victory clearly brings Norris closer to his Australian teammate, who is still leading the championship, even though the Briton remains cautious about his chances. Regarding their close duel, he commented: « It’s so tight that it’s hard to say the momentum is on anyone’s side. We’re both fighting hard, and it’s both demanding and exciting to race against Oscar. It’s great for us as a team, another one-two finish, and our 200th win in Formula 1. »

Norris then praised the effort of his teammate who tried his best to catch up with him: « Kudos to Oscar, he pushed hard and I managed to hang on until the end, so I’m looking forward to many more moments like this. »

This fourth consecutive double demonstrates McLaren’s solid performance this season. In Hungary, Norris turned a compromised race into a valuable victory, which could mark a turning point in his quest for the title. But will he be able to confirm it? The answer after the summer break.