Oscar Piastri spearheaded a McLaren one-two finish in Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix to stand on the top step of the podium and achieve “the day I dreamed of as a kid”.
Piastri rocketed off the line, seizing the lead at the first corner and dictating the pace for the duration of his first stint on the medium tyre.
However, McLaren's strategy threw a curveball when they pitted Norris first during the second round of stops.
This tactic aimed to undercut Lewis Hamilton but unexpectedly – or perhaps predictably – put Norris ahead of Piastri on track.
The closing stages then saw an unwelcome internal conflict as Norris appeared hesitant to relinquish the lead back to his teammate. Eventually, order was restored, and Piastri reclaimed the top spot, securing a well-deserved victory.
The triumph marked a historic moment for Australia, as Piastri became the fifth driver from the nation to win a Formula 1 Grand Prix after Sir Jack Brabham, Alan Jones, Mark Webber, and Daniel Ricciardo.
“This is really the day I dreamed of as a kid, standing on the top step of an F1 podium,” commented Piastri.
“Obviously a bit complicated at the end, but I put myself in the right position at the start.
“Thank you for the team for an amazing effort, an amazing car – hell of a lot of fun racing with McLaren.
“Can't thank them enough for giving me the opportunity to be in F1, and now to win together 16-18 months, it's an incredible feeling.”
©McLaren
McLaren has undeniably been ramping up its performance since the middle of last year on the back of a very productive development programme.
And Sunday’s double podium feat – McLaren’s second win of the season – showed that team papaya’s forward march is now in full swing.
“It's a beast at the moment,” Piastri said, describing his MCL38. “It's fast in every condition. Today, we had it under control completely.
“An amazing feeling to just be able to manage the race like that, with both cars, and secure a one-two.”
The final laps of the race turned tense as Norris seemed reluctant to give up the lead to his teammate.
McLaren's strategy prioritized protecting him from Lewis Hamilton during the final pit stops, effectively giving Norris an undercut that placed him ahead of Piastri.
Team orders were issued to swap positions, but Norris initially extended the gap before eventually conceding the lead in the closing stages.
“The longer you leave it, of course the more you get a bit nervous,” Piastri admitted. “It was well executed by the team, and I think it was the right thing.
“I put myself in the right position at the start.
“With the different strategy we had, yes, my pace probably wasn't as quick as I would have liked in the last stint but I was still in the right position to make it happen.”
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