Written by Sofia Costantino, Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
With his victory at the Hungaroring, Oscar Piastri became the sixth driver to achieve his first win in Formula One at the Hungarian GP (following Damon Hill, Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button, Heikki Kovalainen, and Esteban Ocon).
This achievement makes him the 115th winner of at least one F1 race (technically 105, as the 10 winners of the 11 Indianapolis 500 races — part of the calendar between 1950 and 1960—never drove a Formula One car) at 23 years old, and in his 35th race since joining McLaren last season.
Alongside Lando Norris, the Australian driver led the Woking team to its first 1-2 finish in 64 races, since Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris last achieved the feat at Monza in 2021.
The first victory in the top category of world motorsport, which typically involves an exuberant celebration by a driver who has dreamt of this moment all their life, was seen by some as evidence of Piastri's maturity, as if it were his 50th win. In reality, he was not entirely happy with how he won.
The team's strategy played a significant role in this outcome. In a comfortably dominant race, with Piastri setting an impressive pace that even his teammate Lando Norris couldn't match, the strategists decided to reverse the pit stop order to protect losing second to Hamilton, pitting Norris first.
This decision led to an undercut during the second stop, and necessitated repeatedly asking Norris to let Piastri pass, as prearranged, because the positions were only temporary for protection.
Ultimately, the decision did not leave anyone satisfied. No driver enjoys giving up first place due to team orders, especially when your teammate is far behind, and you have to wait five seconds for them to overtake you.
In several radio conversations, Norris argued that the team’s strategy put them in that situation. He asked for Piastri to get closer to facilitate the process and avoid losing positions to competitors behind them.
Piastri didn't feel fully satisfied with the win either, despite it being a deserving victory and his excellent performance, particularly by overtaking his teammate at the start and leading the race. Additionally, Norris is now second in the drivers' standings this season, and while Verstappen's lead is 76 points, there are still 11 GPs remaining.
The McLaren MCL38 has consolidated as the best car on the grid, whereas the Red Bull RB20 has lost its previous dominance, failing to win the last three races.
There is a significant risk of losing the constructors' championship, especially with limited contribution from Sergio Pérez, who might face departure — due to a performance clause — as early as the break after the Belgian GP.
If this trend continues, Norris could realistically compete for the drivers' title with Verstappen at the end of the season. The prospect of losing the championship by less than seven points (which he conceded to his teammate at the Hungaroring) underscores the folly of such team orders.
In the end, calling Norris to pit on lap 46 of 70 before Piastri was another team error, an unnecessary and detrimental decision for the drivers' relationship. Despite having the best car currently, McLaren seems plagued by operational issues.
This Sunday at Spa-Francorchamps, it is likely that one of the drivers who has already won a race this season will claim victory again.
In addition to Verstappen's seven victories, each driver from Ferrari, McLaren, and Mercedes has one win, bringing the total to seven different winners this season (similar to 2012). This outcome contrasts sharply with the expectations at the start of the season.
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