- Oscar Piastri takes the lead in the Hungarian Grand Prix
- He shocked Lando Norris and Max Verstappen on the first lap
- Piastri wants to win his first Grand Prix
Oscar Piastri caused a real surprise by beating Lando Norris and Max Verstappen to take the lead in the Hungarian Grand Prix.
But it was an incredible – yet long-lasting – act of generosity from the British star that saw Piastri take his first Grand Prix victory in the most heated team feud in Budapest.
In a stunning move that proved once again that the Australian is a future world champion, the 23-year-old held his nerve as he went wheel-to-wheel into the first corner in a three-man race.
Piastri, who occupied the inside line thanks to his second qualifying position in Saturday’s shootout, found himself in front of McLaren team-mate Norris, forcing the Briton to run wide and sending Verstappen off track.
Verstappen rejoined the track in second position and while the Melbourne driver stretched his legs, Norris and the Dutchman spent the following laps arguing about the incident, forcing the Red Bull driver to give the ball back.
As the race progressed, Norris closed the gap to Piastri with Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton threatening behind him. In a bid to prevent the Red Bull and Mercedes stars from taking the top two spots, McLaren called the Briton into the pits first for a second tyre change.
Oscar Piastri surprised Lando Norris and Max Verstappen during the Hungarian Grand Prix
The Australian wanted to win his first Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon
But it inadvertently meant Norris moved ahead of Piastri after the Australian made his change, meaning McLaren had to make a decision.
McLaren instructed Norris to hand the position back to his team-mate, but the Briton refused to comply as the calls from the garage became increasingly frustrating.
While social media was flooded with complaints from fans about Piastri being ‘screwed’ by Norris and the team, the Briton surprisingly changed his mind with three laps to go.
He moved aside on the straight, allowing Piastri to pass him and secure the victory.
“Don’t say anything,” Norris said angrily on the team radio after the move.
Despite clearly being aggrieved by the team order, Norris made no bones about his disappointment after the race: “The team asked me to do it, so I did it. That’s it.”
An elated Piastri said: ‘Very special. This is the day I dreamed of as a child, to be on the podium of Formula 1. Of course a bit complicated at the end, but I put myself in the right position from the start.’
When asked if he was worried about the team orders fiasco, Piastri replied: “The longer you wait the more nervous you get, but the team executed it well.”
Piastri had a strong second season with the Papaya, although he failed to take his first Grand Prix victory, despite his performances being well worth it.
Norris, who started from pole position on Sunday, said he was confident he could convert his front-row starting position into a win before the end of the race.
“I expect to win, and if I don’t, it’s not been a good day,” he said. “The car is good, I’m driving well, so it’s clear what the target is.”
