Lando Norris: Titanic Battle for the Championship with Oscar Piastri
Lando Norris anticipates an intense championship fight with Oscar Piastri, following his outstanding victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Norris, who started from third position, experienced a complicated start that relegated him to fifth place. However, a bold strategy, stopping one less time than his rivals, allowed him to lead the race and resist Piastri’s final attack.
Piastri nearly collided with Norris on the penultimate lap, highlighting the intensity of the competition. Norris, demonstrating composure, remained calm and secured his fifth victory of the season, the third in the last four races, crossing the finish line with a six-tenths of a second lead and reducing the gap in the championship to nine points, with ten races remaining.
Max Verstappen, who finished ninth, remains in third position in the standings, but at a considerable distance from the leader.
“I’m exhausted,” Norris commented. “In the last stint, Oscar was catching up to me and I was pushing to the maximum. The battle with Oscar has been tough so far and will continue to be tough. The margins between us are very small.”
Lando Norris
Norris’ victory in the last race before the summer break revitalizes his aspiration to obtain his first world title. Although luck was on his side at some moments.
In the exit, Norris did not specify an attempt to overtake Piastri, which caused him to lose positions. Subsequently, on lap 3, he managed to overtake Fernando Alonso, but was held back by George Russell.
Piastri and Charles Leclerc, who led the first part of the race from pole position, stopped to change tires on laps 18 and 19 respectively. Russell also pitted on lap 19, giving Norris the lead.
McLaren considered a one-stop strategy. Norris’ race engineer, Will Joseph, asked him on the radio: “Lando, 40 laps on the hard tire, are you up for it?”
Norris replied: “Yes, why not?”
In lap 31 of 70, the Briton entered for his only tire change, setting the fastest times of the race. However, in his attempt to regain ground, Norris went off track in a chicane, which generated Joseph’s reprimand.
After Leclerc, Piastri, and Russell were forced to pit again, Norris was leading with a seven-second advantage over Leclerc and five over Piastri.
Piastri advanced, overtaking Leclerc on lap 51 and reducing Norris’s lead. With five laps remaining, Piastri closed to within a second of his teammate and, on the penultimate lap, attempted a bold overtake. However, Norris kept his cool and secured a victory that could be crucial in his fight for the championship.
Russell completed the podium, while Leclerc finished fourth. The next race will be held in the Netherlands on August 31.
