McLaren calling team orders aren’t new to Formula One. It is a part of the sport. Many remember when Sergio Perez sacrificed his race in Abu Dhabi in 2021 to hold up Lewis Hamilton in one of the most incredible showcases of defensive driving to help Max Verstappen close the gap and ultimately win the driver’s championship.
We have seen Ferrari tell Rubens Barrichello was given team orders to move out of the way and let Michael Schumacher win the Austrian Grand Prix in 2002. The Hungarian Grand Prix on the other made no sense in pursuit of a driver championship. McLaren Strategic Woes Continue For the final stop of the race, McLaren brought in Lando Norris to start setting him up for the undercut on his teammate and race leader Oscar Piastri.
At the end of the pit cycle, Norris had opened a commanding lead over Piastri thanks to the undercut. McLaren seemingly swapped drivers via pit strategy to help Norris close ground on Verstappen for the drivers’ championship . McLaren then gave team orders for Norris to give the position back to Piastri.
Norris continuously fought the orders and appeared to ignore the orders. Finally after many pleas from the McLaren pit wall for Norris to give up the win to Piastri, he relented and let Piastri close the over-five-second lead and allow the young Aussie to capture his first career Grand Prix victory. This is an unnecessary controversy as the strategy once again leaves F1 fans’ heads scratching as to why.
Much like Silverstone a str.