RADIO INTERFERENCE

F1

Hungaroring laps dwindling, Lando Norris had an intriguing decision to make.

“I know you’ll do the right thing.”

As Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris stormed to a 1-2 finish in Hungary, the mood at McLaren should have been one of only elation. However, shortwave strife had shotdown that notion. While the future may appear to be orange, sorry…papaya, cracks are beginning to show. The fractures of factionism have arrived. With two precocious talents like these, it was pretty much inevitable. Nobody drives in Formula One to be second.

In effect, Saturday was perfect. A front row lock out, McLaren had the rest of the grid where they wanted them. Manoeuvring through a tricksy wet-dry qualification with two red flags, Norris and Piastri delivered the goods. With nothing but open track to drive into come raceday, lights out couldn’t arrive soon enough. Beaming down the opening straight, Lando shifted right towards Oscar, then left to block off Max. Three wide into turn one—a late breaking, right hairpin—, Piastri snuck by into first position. Pole sitter Norris was witness to something else howbeit, as Verstappen’s Red Bull somehow careened past him from a suspect angle.

Under investigation from the stewards, the Dutchman was advised by his race engineer, Gianpiero ‘GP’ Lambiase, to retrocede his current position to Norris. Reluctantly, he did just that. This left the McLaren’s exactly where they wanted to be, and the consequent task appeared straightforward. Keep the cars on the track, finish with the maximum points available. After all, in what many regard to be the grid’s fastest car, it’d be smooth sailing, no dramas. Well…not quite.

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Like every good story, a sub-plot is needed. This one involves a red mist descending over the reigning world champion. It would be fair to say that Verstappen didn’t exactly have the race he wanted. At loggerheads with GP all day, Max’s tone while speaking on team radio was, let’s just say, somewhat combative. Already agitated after being forced to relinquish the place gained, Max was unable to find the pace he has become accustomed to over the last three years.

For the majority of this race, he was stuck behind an old, yet familiar foe. For the uninformed, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton have history. 2021 was witness to one of the most titanic championship run-ins of all time, as everything rested on the season’s final race in Abu Dhabi. Max was ultimately the victor, but in the most controversial of circumstances. Race director, Michael Masi, was eventually removed from post, after the FIA were forced to admit that ‘human error’ resulted in a slew of regulatory violations. While there were differing interpretations in regard to technical articles, many still believe that Hamilton was robbed of a record-breaking eighth drivers’ championship title.

While Lewis and Max certainly have mutual respect for one another as elite drivers, those scars will never fully heal. Having put so much into the season, it had ended in less than licit terms. These days, the two don’t see as much of each other. While Verstappen has romped to more titles, Hamilton’s Mercedes has failed to keep pace. Today was different though, and unlike in the U.A.E. a few years back, Max was angry:

“It’s quite impressive how we let ourselves get undercut, and just completely f*ck my race.”

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Hamilton had kept Verstappen in check for a large chunk of the race’s mid-sector, before finally boxing for new tyres on lap 42. The chance had presented itself for Max, but his attempt to ovetake Lewis saw him run wide at the exit of turn three only four laps earlier. At this point, Verstappen’s chances at a victory had all but gone up in smoke, and the Dutchman was irate. He felt as if Red Bull’s team strategy had cost him vital time, and it was now increasingly obvious that the McLaren’s would drive off into the sunset. Much like Lewis, Max’s target was now the final podium place. They would soon meet again.

Up ahead, murmurs of discontent were in their pioneering stage. Lap 48 saw Piastri eventually pit, only to return to track three seconds behind new race leader Norris. McLaren’s previous, and somewhat atypical decision to bring the non-leading driver gave the Englishman an advantage, with the fresher tyre allowing for an increase in pace. Lando’s race engineer, Will Joseph, passes on the following instruction:

““Okay Lando, Oscar has just pitted. He will likely come out just behind you. We’d like you to re-establish the order at your convenience.”

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Many would see this as bizarre, as it proposed that McLaren decided upon advantaging the former race leader, opposed to Verstappen’s closest title challenger in Norris. Minutes later, Piastri ran ever so slightly wide at turn 13, opening up an even larger gap between himself and his teammate, a situation only exacerbated by the fact that Lando was already recording quicker times.

Ten laps later, McLaren’s predicament stayed the same. Five seconds clear, Norris showed no signs of budging. The opportunity to complete a pass without incident continued to decrease. Will Joseph was starting to get uneasy. You could hear it in his cadence, as he once again reminded Lando of the team wants:

“Just remember every single Sunday morning meeting we have…”

Lando’s rebuttal wasn’t exactly reassuring:

“Yeah, tell him to catch up then, please.”

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Elsewhere, Mad Max was…mad. New tyres? Verstappen didn’t care. Blitzing out of the pits after his second stop, the world champion absolutely flew around the Hungaroring as if he was trying to set a circuit record. However unlikely it seemed, he wanted to get back into winning contention. It’s not the strategy Red Bull had committed to however, with worries about the latter stages of stint performance. Once again, Verstappen didn’t care.

Soon enough, the Dutchman had overtaken Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. On the horizon? Lewis Hamilton. With tyres to burn, Max wasn’t interested in biding his time. Lap 63 and the Dutchman made his move, eyes fixed on beating his old rival into turn one. A pass is misjudged, left too late. The turning Mercedes’ front right wheel makes contact with the Red Bull’s back left, leaving the latter to nose dive as all four tyres lift from the ground. Somewhat miraculously, both cars seem to be intact, but as Verstappen makes his way back onto the circuit, he has lost significant time.

Unsurprisingly, Max blames Lewis:

“He moved under-braking.”

The claim is quashed by GP, who’s clearly had enough the afternoon antics:

“I’m not going to even get into a radio fight with the other teams. We’ll let the stewards do their thing. It’s childish on the radio. Childish.”

Cold.

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At McLaren, things are reaching boiling point. The message from Joseph is clear:

“Lando, there are five laps to go. The way to win a championship is not by yourself, it’s with the team. You’re going to need Oscar and you’re going to need the team.”

The lack of response only instills further worry. Two laps later, another directive filters through the transmission:

“If there’s a safety car now it’s going to make it very awkward. Please do it now.”

Crossing the line to begin lap 68 of 70, Norris begins to slow. He has made his decision. The stress and anxiety shown in the faces of those on the papaya pit wall dissipates. Piastri slides through into first place, retaking the lead at the same turn he’d originally found it. While that happening only occurred ninety minutes earlier, it seems like a lifetime ago. Thankfully for the Woking based team, the final laps pass without event. Oscar Piastri has won the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The argument would be that McLaren should’ve never undercut Piastri in the first place. The situation saw a bubbling tension build until Norris allowed for the overtake. That being said, the strategy did work to keep Hamilton at bay, and the 1-2 never appeared to be in much doubt. Yet, it had become evident early on that Lewis’ day demanded his energy be used to defend against those behind him, with third his best outcome. Some will question Lando’s lack of backbone, others will suggest he only earned the lead through the pit stop strategy. Would this have unravelled if Norris had led Piastri out of turn one? Unlikely.

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The post-race interview is amicable, Lando showing no signs of frustration with Oscar at all. Congratulating the Australian on his first race win, it appeared as if Norris was trying to reduce a snowball forming. There was no doubt that Will Joseph’s pleading made for a tough listen, especially those met with zero response. All Lando had done was increase the gap between himself and Oscar by superior driving, and such badgering via radio communication took the shine off what was a clinical performance. Was Norris petulant to ignore team orders for so long, or was he simply showing the drive of an individual set on becoming world champion?

Polarised thinking? Perhaps. Cognitive distortion is most likely difficult to manage while piloting a fine-tuned speed machine. However, there’s little doubt that some would’ve supported Lando if he chose to take the chequered flag. The line of thinking being: if you want to win a race, then earn it. That’s what Lando did earlier this year, sealing his maiden victory at the Grand Prix of Miami. How team principal, Andrea Stella, convinces Norris that this was for the best is anyone’s guess.

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A hollow victory for Piastri? You’d need to ask him. Although, it’s unlikely this would’ve been how it unfolded in his dream sequence. Almost as if he was handed the victory, babied into it. Granted, the premeditated plan of action emerged to onlookers as the race developed, and Piastri’s lack of bluster—minus a skirting with track limits—is to be noted. They say a win’s a win, but for an inaugural success in F1, it didn’t feel quite right. Unfortunately for Oscar, you can’t triumph for the first time twice.

Yet, it does raise the question, which title matters more? Do McLaren truly believe in Norris’ ability to cut into the championship lead? Would a legendary champion such as Ayrton Senna or Michael Schumacher acquiesce their winning position under team orders? The chances are somewhere around zero to none. The same can be said for this year’s main rival, Max Verstappen. In 2022, Red Bull’s number one wouldn’t even let his teammate Sergio ‘Checo’ Perez through to battle Charles Leclerc for second place in the drivers’ championship. A moment that arrived in the penultimate race, Max had long wrapped up his individual title. Perez trundled to seventh place finish in Brazil, ending the season a mere three points behind Leclerc. Verstappen didn’t care. Sometimes, it’s about sending a message.

This time around, it was one Norris decided against.

Come December, he better hope it doesn’t matter.