Lando Norris is facing criticism for his attitude in Hungary, and he admits that he could have handled the team orders call better.
As the race unfolded, speculation arose about how this drama could be portrayed in media like Drive to Survive and F1 – the movie, while the Sky team anticipated more controversy in the future.
After reflecting on the situation for a week, Norris acknowledges that his response to being told to make way for his teammate wasn’t ideal.
“Looking back, there were better ways to handle both the team’s decision and my own reaction,” he told reporters at Spa. “I regret overshadowing Oscar’s first Formula 1 win and not celebrating our one-two finish together.”
“I could have approached it differently by allowing him to pass while still racing him,” he added. “It seems obvious now, but it didn’t cross my mind at the time. I should have let him go earlier.”
Despite the ethical considerations, McLaren’s call resulted in Norris losing 7 points in his championship battle with Verstappen.
“I shouldn’t have been leading the race in the first place,” Norris explained. “If Oscar had been in front the whole time, there would have been no reason for the team to ask him to let me pass.”
To prevent a similar situation in the future, some believe McLaren should fully support Norris in the drivers’ championship.
“I still need to earn it by driving faster than everyone else,” Norris said. “It’s not up to me to decide when the team should show bias towards one driver over another. We still have a long way to go in the season.”
