F1 News: Red Bull Chief Warns McLaren Over Norris-Piastri Battle - 'I'd Have Kept Lando In Front'

Alex Harrington | Jul 27, 2024

May 5, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Red Bull team principle Christian Horner sits in the F1 Village before the F1 Miami Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome. / Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

At the Hungarian Grand Prix, McLaren celebrated a momentous achievement: their first 1-2 finish since 2021, with rookie Oscar Piastri clinching his inaugural Formula 1 victory. However, the decision that propelled Piastri ahead of his more seasoned teammate, Lando Norris, has kindled a fiery debate among pundits and viewers.

Christian Horner, the team principal of Red Bull Racing, weighed in on this controversy in a post-race interview with Sky Sports F1. Horner, known for his forthright views, critiqued McLaren's race strategy, particularly their decision to revise pit stop tactics, which allowed Piastri to overtake Norris.

"Absolutely, I would have kept Lando in front. Lando is the experienced driver. He's there as the number one driver, I would assume. And they've done the hard work," Horner asserted.

The strategic call by McLaren involved giving Norris a two-lap undercut—usually a definitive move to solidify a driver's lead. However, the situation was later complicated by instructing Norris to let Piastri pass, a directive that Horner believes was inconsistent and potentially detrimental to team morale.

"It's standard practice to give the lead driver the first stop so they could have done that quite easily with Oscar but they gave a two-lap undercut to Lando so they obviously wanted him ahead of Oscar, having put him ahead. It is then tough on the director to say actually we want you now to drop behind your teammate," he elaborated.

The repercussions of these decisions are not merely about race day dynamics but extend into the championship implications. Highlighting the existing 76-point gap between Norris and current world champion, Max Verstappen, Horner speculated on the potential impact of the team's choices, "Well if this championship's lost by seven points at the end of the year."

Christian Horner’s critique embodies a widely accepted principle in Formula 1: the prioritization of experienced drivers in strategic decisions, especially crucial in tight championship races.

"Every point counts at the end of the day and different teams go racing a different way, but Lando is the closest challenger and you've got to put your eggs in one basket at one point," Horner added, reinforcing the necessity for strategic consistency and clarity within teams.

The potential long-term effects of their decision on the championship battle and internal team relationships will likely continue to be a topic of analysis as the season progresses.