A surprise twist at the Hungarian Grand Prix saw Lando Norris outmaneuvered Oscar Piastri, with a well-timed one-stop strategy paying dividends for McLaren. Despite initial expectations of a dominant performance from Ferrari, Charles Leclerc’s team’s gamble backfired as their car struggled to maintain pace throughout the race.
Initially, Ferrari’s high ride height and aggressive tyre pressure seemed to have paid off, with Leclerc taking pole position and initially leading the pack. However, a combination of dirty air and underfloor downforce issues soon took its toll on the team’s performance. The car’s pace collapsed after the first stop, leaving Leclerc struggling to keep up with Piastri.
As Norris expertly navigated his one-stop strategy, he began to close in on Piastri, eventually taking the lead with just five laps remaining. Despite a valiant effort from Piastri, Norris secured a surprise victory, thanks largely to his ability to manage his tyres and maintain pace in clean air.
The result marked a significant shift in momentum for McLaren, who had looked underdone in recent weeks. Meanwhile, Ferrari’s strategy has been called into question, with team principal Fred Vasseur acknowledging that the car’s performance issues were more severe than initially thought. Norris’ win was a testament to his skill and adaptability, while Piastri’s podium finish marked an impressive debut for the young Australian driver.
The one-stop strategy employed by McLaren proved to be a masterstroke, allowing Norris to maximize his advantage over Piastri. The team’s engineers will likely study this result closely in order to refine their approach for future races. As for Leclerc and Ferrari, they will need to regroup and reassess their strategy if they hope to reclaim the top spot on the grid.
Source: https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/mark-hughes-the-ferrari-anomaly-that-set-up-norriss-win