F1 insider feels McLaren made the wrong choice by favoring Oscar Piastri over Lando Norris in Hungary

McLaren secured a 1-2 finish in the Hungarian GP, with Oscar Piastri clinching his first Grand Prix victory ahead of teammate Lando Norris. The result, however, was not without controversy, as the team found themselves in an awkward situation, forcing a driver swap in the final laps.

Norris started from pole position with Piastri alongside him. The latter got a better start, and took the lead into the first corner, leading the first two stints. The situation became tense when Norris undercut Piastri during the final pit stops, putting McLaren in a difficult position where they had to orchestrate a driver swap.

Lando Norris was hesitant to swap positions, showcasing his speed in the final stint, with Oscar Piastri struggling to close the gap, which ballooned to six seconds. After extensive negotiation and convincing, Norris agreed to let past his Aussie teammate, who went on to win the race.

F1 presenter, Will Buxton assessed the tricky situation McLaren dug themselves into and reckoned the team made an error from a championship standpoint. With points leader Max Verstappen out of a podium position, he believed Norris, second in the standings, could have reduced the deficit.

"I argued in Austria McLaren had to choose a number one and back them. Then it was over one point in the sprint. Today, on a day when Verstappen failed to finish on the podium, the tough choice, but the right choice for the championship, would have been a Norris win," he wrote on X.

Max Verstappen took home a fifth-place finish (subject to post-race penalties for the incident with Lewis Hamilton). Lando Norris could have gained an additional seven points if he had taken the checkered flag first. The current points difference between the two drivers stands at 76. Meanwhile, race winner Oscar Piastri occupies fifth place in the Drivers' Standings.

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McLaren team boss elaborates on late-race swap between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris

In the final laps of the race, Lando Norris had tense exchanges with his race engineer, Will Joseph, who frequently reminded Norris of the "Sunday morning conversations."

Team boss Andrea Stella elaborated on the message, emphasizing that neither the team nor the drivers can win races without mutual trust and support. He implied that Norris's engineer was reminding him of this crucial message.

"We are in this trajectory together. None of us – the team, Lando or Oscar – can go alone. That’s the message that we discussed on Sunday morning. With racing drivers you need to refresh this message. That’s why we have this meeting every Sunday," Stella told Sky Sports F1.

Stella also acknowledged the implications the late-race swap could have on Lando Norris's championship hopes. He admitted that the swap was necessary to maintain harmony and unity within the team:

"It’s true for a driver if we want to be competitive in the championship, for Lando in particular in the stronger position, he will need the support of Oscar and the support of the team. I think that’s how we are moving forward."

The McLaren team boss was ultimately satisfied with having converted a front-row lockout to a 1-2 finish on the podium.