Former IndyCar Sequence driver and F1 TV pundit James Hinchcliffe believes Lando Norris would have comfortably defeated his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri on the Hungarian Grand Prix, whatever the Australian’s contact with backmarker Carlos Sainz.
The reigning Components 1 champion delivered a commanding drive on the Hungaroring to say his first victory of the 2026 season. Whereas Norris began from pole place, his team-mate took the lead early on.
Because the Briton closed in and argued that he had extra tempo than his team-mate forward of him, McLaren gave Piastri pitstop precedence on lap 33. “We will’t, I’m afraid,” McLaren advised Norris when he requested a pitstop, to which he responded: “You imply you gained’t let me? I’m miles sooner.”
However whereas Piastri made his method by way of the backmarkers, Williams driver Sainz made contact with him and was penalised for the collision. Norris went on to win the race, and Piastri in the end retired on lap 56 as a result of a technical failure.
“He was unstoppable in the present day, wasn’t he? I imply, such a dominant efficiency,” Hinchcliffe stated through the F1 TV post-race debrief present.
“Even when he misplaced the lead, he had a lot extra tempo than Oscar had even earlier than Oscar’s issues; he had the tempo to do the undercut. He had the tempo to do the overcut. He actually had your entire subject lined. Sure, the automobile was nice. The motive force in the present day was distinctive as effectively.”
Lando Norris, McLaren
Photograph by: Michael Potts / LAT Pictures by way of Getty Pictures
Hinchcliffe argued that Norris would have gained the race even when Piastri had not had the collision with Sainz or retired.
“The principles are the principles, proper? The contact right here with Sainz was a really weird scenario, and Jolyon [Palmer] stated it within the broadcast: Sainz is a great man. He is aware of the principles. He is aware of what’s up. One thing went improper there. One thing within the communication, the system, no matter.”
He added: “However I believe my level is that after you noticed the tempo benefit that Lando had, I believe he’d have been ready with a bit of little bit of a tyre offset to execute a really protected overtake effectively inside the team-mate pointers. And I actually do assume that it was going to be arduous for him to lose this race.”
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