Oscar Piastri described his narrow defeat to Lando Norris at the Hungarian Grand Prix as “painful,” underlining how a strategic call cost him the race victory. The Melbourne-born driver’s two-stop strategy was outmatched by Norris’ one-stop plan, which ultimately gave the latter the advantage on race day.
With the Hungarian GP now behind them, Piastri’s lead in the championship has shrunk to nine points as Formula 1 enters its summer break. The 24-year-old admitted the close finish was difficult to accept, saying his emotions were mixed. Despite the loss, he acknowledged the race was exciting from both a competitor’s and spectator’s perspective.
But, obviously, when you’re on the losing side of that battle, it’s a little bit difficult. But, yeah, we tried our best, I think, and, you know, we got ahead of Charles. I don’t know what happened to him in the last stint, but, yeah, some things to look back on, whether we should have done something a bit different in terms of strategy, but very easy to say in hindsight.
—Oscar Piastri, Driver
Chasing Team-Mate Norris: Piastri’s On-Track Challenge
Throughout the race, Piastri identified Lando Norris rather than the leader Charles Leclerc as his primary adversary. He knew overtaking his McLaren team-mate would be a major challenge despite being confident in his pace. Piastri explained how the difficulty came not only from closing the distance but sustaining proximity through the tricky sections of the track.
He described how the track’s layout made staying close enough to attempt a pass especially hard, with the middle sector corners often causing gains and losses in equal measure. Longer corners near the track’s end further reduced his downforce, limiting overtaking chances even further.
That made it very tough. And then with such long corners to end the lap, it just kills any downforce you’ve got. So, I knew that was going to be incredibly tough. Even if I had more laps, I’m not sure the result would have been any different, but I certainly tried.
—Oscar Piastri, Driver
Final Race Moments and the Impact of a Lock-Up
Piastri’s last attempt to pass Norris came on the penultimate lap at Turn 1, when he braked hard but locked up his tires, missing the chance to complete the overtake. Despite this, he believed the lock-up did not cost him the win. He quickly closed the gap again before the final lap but acknowledged that his worn tires limited his ability to mount a sustained challenge.
Not that much, I don’t think,
he said discussing the effect of the lock-up.
I was able to close the gap again pretty quickly for the last lap. But it’s kind of like I said, getting to within six or seven tenths was doable, but to then get even closer than that, I think I needed brand new Softs to be able to do much from that point.
—Oscar Piastri, Driver
He also reflected on the risks taken during the final laps, admitting that while hindsight might suggest waiting for another opportunity, he felt compelled to act when the chance appeared.
So, yeah, it was always going to be tough when I got close. But, I mean, you never want to not take an opportunity that you think is there in case another one never comes up. So, I had to go for it and, you know, in hindsight, obviously you can say maybe I should have waited another lap, but I’m pretty convinced that even if I had waited one more lap, it wouldn’t have changed anything.
—Oscar Piastri, Driver
Context and Championship Implications as Season Pauses for Summer Break
The race outcome narrows Piastri’s championship advantage and intensifies the battle as Formula 1 pauses for its mid-season break. With his McLaren teammate Lando Norris closing in and rivals like Charles Leclerc involved, the 2025 title fight remains highly competitive.
Piastri’s reflections highlight the fine margins involved in strategy choices and race execution, underscoring how every decision can influence race day results. The Hungarian GP demonstrated the evolving dynamics within McLaren and the wider F1 grid, setting the stage for intense competition when racing resumes.