Team orders “a new situation we’re inexperienced at “

Oscar Piastri insists his relationship with McLaren team mate Lando Norris is strong despite the tense end to last weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix.

McLaren secured a one-two victory with Piastri securing his maiden grand prix victory last weekend at the Hungaroring ahead of Norris.

Piastri lost the lead to his team mate at the final round of pit stops as Norris was allowed to pit before him. After being asked to allow his team mate back into the lead for 20 laps, Norris finally obeyed with three laps remaining.

Despite the tense end to the race, with Norris only following his team’s orders in the closing laps, Piastri insisted that the atmosphere inside the team between himself, Norris and team principal Andrea Stella as “incredible”.

“Reflecting back on a one-two and just a dominant weekend – which is the first time we’ve been able to say that as McLaren for a very long time – the feeling is very strong,” Piastri told the official F1 channel.

“I’ve spoken with Lando and Andrea – played Monopoly with Lando on the way back – so we’re all good. Of course it’s a difficult situation to be in from a lot of sides. I think the team wanted to really make sure we locked down a one-two and I think at the time it was a very sensible call.

“Of course it swapped the order around and I completely get why Lando wanted to ask so many questions about swapping back. He’s leading a race and we all want a win. So I get it from both sides. Just a new situation that we were maybe a bit inexperienced at handling. We’ve definitely spoken about it and we’re all good.”

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Norris admitted that he could have handled the team’s orders in a different manner, but said he was still happier about securing a one-two for his team than he was not to win himself.

“Obviously we’ve reviewed everything,” Norris said. “But the main point is we had a one-two, and I was super happy with that.

“The whole team were very happy. Yeah, could have done things probably a little bit differently, yes, but that’s from my side and the team’s side to discuss and that’s what we’ve done. So coming into this weekend to try and repeat it in terms of result.”

Piastri’s victory, albeit in unusual circumstances, made him the eighth-youngest race winner in grand prix history. Asked if his victory had…