Oscar Piastri snagged his first-ever Formula 1 victory after Lando Norris let him pass at the Hungarian Grand Prix last weekend. Christian Horner, the head of Red Bull Racing, was taken aback by how things played out in Budapest.
Despite the unexpected twist, Horner confirmed there’s no friction between Max Verstappen and the rest of the Red Bull team.
If Christian Horner had been calling the shots for McLaren, he says he wouldn’t have instructed Lando Norris to relinquish his lead.
Norris was directed by McLaren to let Oscar Piastri through after Piastri made an early pit stop while leading.
The strategy was aimed at keeping both McLaren drivers ahead of Lewis Hamilton.
Piastri’s victory came after Norris led for 20 laps before stepping aside.
The decision to switch positions raised eyebrows, especially since Norris is Max Verstappen’s closest competitor for the championship.
Norris himself downplays the need for him to be the team’s top driver right now. However, Horner found the situation intriguing.
Horner’s Take on Team Dynamics
Horner remarked on the usual practice of giving the lead driver the first pit stop, a strategy that could have easily been applied to Piastri. Instead, Norris was given a two-lap advantage, suggesting McLaren wanted him ahead of Piastri.
Asking Norris to drop back behind his teammate after that was a tough call.
Horner pointed out that in the championship battle, every point matters. If Norris loses the title by a handful of points at the end of the season, every decision will be scrutinized.
He emphasized that each team has its own approach to racing and that at some point, you have to back one driver fully.
Verstappen’s Team Relations
Regarding Verstappen, Horner addressed concerns about recent team radio exchanges that had some fans questioning Verstappen’s respect for the team.
Despite the heated conversations, Horner assured that Verstappen’s relationship with the team remains strong. He compared Verstappen’s passionate communication to the lively exchanges you’d hear among Premier League footballers.
Horner praised Verstappen for his intense racing spirit, acknowledging that in the high-pressure world of F1, such moments of frustration are inevitable.
He also highlighted the strong bond between Verstappen and his race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, noting that they’ve worked together for eight years and quickly moved past any issues that arose.