McLaren told they will regret Lando Norris team orders confusion

McLaren will rue their decision in Hungary if Lando Norris narrowly misses out on the F1 title, Damon Hill insists.

McLaren ordered race leader Norris to allow his teammate Oscar Piastri through in the final laps of the F1 Hungarian Grand Prix, a decision which he eventually complied with.

Piastri had earlier been leading but swapped places with Norris after differing pit stop strategies.

Norris’ initial frustration was soon waylaid but he sits 78 points behind championship leader Max Verstappen.

Ex-F1 champion Hill told the F1 Nation podcast: “If they don’t win the championship this year with Lando, they miss out on a few points, they will look back at Hungary and think ‘why did we do that?’”

Tom Clarkson disagreed: “If they lose the drivers’ championship by seven points or less, I don’t think they can look at Hungary as ‘we gave it away’.

“They could look at all the other races where they had pit stop issues, or where the car wasn’t performing.

“I really believe you cannot isolate one moment. Norris lost the Hungary Grand Prix at the start, he was gifted the lead, they then corrected that situation, they had discussed it before and Lando had agreed.”

Norris won his first F1 grand prix this season in Miami and was on course for a second in Hungary, before allowing teammate Piastri to win for the first time.

'Reason' cited for Lando Norris errors

Clarkson asked: “Is the reason Norris is making the mistakes because of pressure from his teammate? Is it one of the reasons, at least?”

Hill answered: “I think there’s something in that. Lando has enjoyed the status of being the person in McLaren who provides results and gets them excited.

“He was the man. Now we’ve got Oscar who is equally the man!

“I still think Lando has the edge but it can’t be comfortable when you look over your shoulder and you’ve out-qualified your teammate by only a tenth of a second.

“It means that every time you go to do a lap you need to get every bit, otherwise you’ll be behind him.”

Clarkson said: “I think McLaren’s focus is the constructors' championship.

“I think Lando’s peaks at the moment are higher than Oscar’s. But we see peaks and troughs from Lando while, increasingly, we get a level trajectory from Oscar. “

Hill said about Piastri: “He is showing himself to be a gradual learner. He is building bit by bit, getting stronger and stronger.

“The race win is a boost to his confidence and self-esteem, and the effect on others around him. You can no longer look at him as hopeful. He has calmness, coolness.”