Amidst continuing criticism of his attitude in Hungary, Lando Norris admits that he could have handled the team orders call better.

Even as the race played out, no doubt the screenwriters for Drive to Survive and F1 - the movie - were wondering how they could take advantage of the situation, whilst the Sky team also licked their lips at the prospect of more controversy further down the line.

However, given a week to reflect, Lando Norris admits that his reaction to being told to move aside for his teammate wasn't a good look.

"Could it have been handled slightly differently from both a team side and a personal side? Yes," he told reporters at Spa today. "The things that I could have done differently, the fact that I kind of clouded over Oscar's first race win in Formula 1 is something I've not felt too proud about," he admitted. "The fact we had a one-two and nothing was really spoken about from that side, that's the kind of thing I felt worse about.

"It's such a stupid thing that I didn't, because we're free to race," he continued. "I could have just let him past and still tried to overtake and to race him. It sounds so simple now, but it's not something that went through my head at the time. Such a simple thing like that, you know, I could have done, but I was just in a good rhythm, and things were going well at the time.

"I questioned it at the time, questioned the team a few times. I knew from as soon as they boxed me ahead of him, or before him, that I was going to have to let him go. I was a bit silly and didn't let him go earlier."

Whatever the ethics, the rights and wrongs of the situation, the team's call meant that Norris forfeited 7 points in his bid to battle Verstappen for the title.

"That had nothing to do with last week," insisted Norris. "I shouldn't have led the race. That's the end of it. I shouldn't have been in the lead. Oscar got me off the line, he controlled it well. That was it.

"I shouldn't have led the race, and people shouldn't have then had the perception of 'Ah, the team are not biasing towards Lando'. If Oscar was leading the whole race, there's absolutely zero reason for them to ask him to suddenly let me past."

To avoid a repeat, some - most notably the British media - believe that McLaren should now throw its (drivers' title) efforts completely behind the Briton.

"If you're thinking of it from a championship point of view. I don't know when the point is of like, if I'm 10 points behind, 15 points behind, whatever," said Norris. "At what point then do you go, 'Can you help out a bit more, can you do this or do that'? I don't know when that point is, and that's not my decision.

"I still need to earn it, go out there and drive quicker than everyone," he continued. "I don't know why is now the point that we would have a bias of one over the other. We have never had the bias in the team; it might have looked like it from the outside and that happens a lot now, but we are only halfway through, and we have a hell of a long way to go. Maybe further down the line, but that time is to be decided."

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by kenji, 28/07/2024 1:16

"@Anthony...good point. @ Ricardo_sanchez....Regarding the pit stops , Who made the decision to give Norris priority? and why? The supposed threat from Hamilton was never on, as it proved. Why was Norris given two laps before Piastri was pitted if not to allow Norris to build a bigger buffer over Piastri? Norris would've been aware of his obligation to give the place back by virtue of the [ supposed ] teams principles of leading driver gets first pit stop. Norris was gifted his place at Piastri's expense and he was fully aware of it but still tried to undermine the teams final obligation to Piastri. Fortunately it backfired but he was still able to throw some shade over his team mates first win and then trying to garner the sympathy vote. I still don't believe Stella's story."

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2. Posted by Anthony, 26/07/2024 14:14

"Yes it is interesting to see how Brown, who has so much to say about other teams’ matters, has been silent…. I’m not surprised that other teams (allegedly) ignore his views. "

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3. Posted by Spindoctor, 26/07/2024 8:57

"I guess that Lando's damascene moment is a combination of personal realism and pressure from "The Man".

We'll see how the various conspiracy theories play out over the remaining races (assuming McLaren remains the faster car). My bet is that we'll see genuine "free to race" with the usual caveats about not breaking the machinery or scaring the money men. Lando isn't VMax, but he's no pushover & Piastri is no natural 2nd driver, he too is fast & calculating, and getting better."

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4. Posted by Ricardo_sanchez, 26/07/2024 8:41

"@Kenji - are you suggesting that the McLaren team’s strategists deliberately put Norris ahead, via the pit stop timings, with no intention to instruct him to give the position back to Piastri? If so, why did they subsequently tell him to cede position to Piastri? Surely it’s exactly the same people making all of those decisions? "

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5. Posted by ausieausieausie, 26/07/2024 8:17

"Just imagine how it would have been if they banned radios!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

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6. Posted by Superbird70, 26/07/2024 2:34

"McLaren is second in the constructers championship. That is the prize they see as attainable with of their drivers supporting eachother. RedBull really only has one competetive driver."

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7. Posted by kenji, 26/07/2024 1:46

"I beg to differ. Norris is a 'wimpy' individual. His failure to comply with the team's very first request to move over belied his deep seated belief that he was entitled to be in the prime track position at Piastri's expense. He knew the ropes! He's been racing for McLaren for five and a half years. The team's attempt to introduce the 'Hamilton proximity' as an excuse to hand the lead to Norris was proved to be wrong and was a strategy fiasco....or was it?

Strangely, Zak Brown has been unusually quiet...so where is he and what's his take? I very much doubt that this is going to blow over for some time, if ever. The cards are now face up...."

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8. Posted by RP, 25/07/2024 19:00

"Lando Norris has shown himself to be an adult ans a good team member. Good for him. Max Verstappen could take a page from Lando. His initial reluctance is understandable but he did the right thing and has acknowledge the value of real teamwork. Good got him."

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9. Posted by Wokingchap, 25/07/2024 18:29

"Lando's remorse regains his stature!..... imo.
Now it's the teams turn.
"

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10. Posted by The Canadian, 25/07/2024 17:17

"It's a week on and I'm still puzzled as to why this became Lando's fault. The team screwed up their pit plan and he wound up 3 seconds in front of Piastri. They should have sucked it up like Mercedes did when they blew George Russel's first win when he filled in for Lewis when he had covid, and just enjoyed Lando's win. "

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"It could have been handled differently," admits Norris

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