The Formula 1 Grand Prix in Hungary provided plenty of excitement and material for discussion over the weekend. Among other things, the focus was on Max Verstappen, who was once again left behind in his Red Bull, and who was cursing like a trooper. And the question: Was it right for McLaren to insist that Lando Norris let Oscar Piastri go in the end? For RTL reporter and F1 expert Felix Görner, this was a massive mistake by the up-and-coming British team, as Görner explained in his sport.de column.
In Hungary we saw the return of “Mad Max”, but there was also a “Mad McLaren” story at the Hungaroring. For me it is clear: McLaren will not become world champions like this and Lando Norris will not become drivers’ world champion like this either.
By ordering Norris to let Oscar Piastri through, they put themselves above the interests of a driver who should have won the race. Why intervene? That was a big mistake considering the World Championship standings, where Norris is chasing Verstappen.
What would Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel, Ayrton Senna or Lewis Hamilton have done in Norris’s place? Of course they wouldn’t have waved the others past, they would have won the race. Norris fought hard to win the race. So you have to shake your head.
Felix Görner has been an RTL reporter and Formula 1 expert for years
It became clear here that McLaren is not yet top class when it comes to managing two very good drivers. And Lando Norris also has to ask himself how he intends to become drivers’ world champion if he does not selfishly – perhaps brutally – pursue such opportunities.
For the spectator, it was almost an outcry to watch the back and forth between the team stewards, which is not a good sign for the sport or for the fans, unless you are an ardent fan of Oscar Piastri.
But Formula 1 is not about such sensitivities, it is about becoming drivers’ world champion. And at the end of the year, Norris could potentially miss out on the points against Max Verstappen.
Formula 1: Verstappen has “an increasingly worse car”
Norris will ask himself: Am I too soft? Why am I doing this? In any case, he will not become a number 1 driver, and that is actually his big goal, even with another team at some point. From his point of view, what happened in Hungary was not good.
The Grand Prix in Hungary didn’t go well for Max Verstappen either. The return of “Mad Max” is in full swing. You can see that the Dutchman is showing nerves under pressure in a car that is getting worse and worse, he is annoyed and irritable and then makes the same old mistakes again.
This is how he lost his composure at the weekend. Verstappen had a really bad day, as did his team. The world champion channeled this into his maneuver against Lewis Hamilton.
Then there was the constant complaining on the radio. If you listen to the team radios, they were all more entertaining than the last Bundestag session. Everything was public, everything was in discussion, everyone against everyone, everything was disclosed and it was very transparent and entertaining.
One thing is clear: The lead of the former dominators in Formula 1 is shrinking. And: We now not only have seven drivers who have already won a race, but we also have a fierce duel between the Red Bull Racing and McLaren teams
Formula 1 is more exciting than it has been for a long time. But things are not looking too good for Sergio Pérez. “Checo” now has a chance to show in Spa that he will not be replaced in the second half of the season.
But he has to. After the Belgian GP, the Red Bull bosses will sit down together and decide whether he will be replaced by Liam Lawson or Daniel Ricciardo. Pérez is under observation. At least: On Sunday in the race he finally showed a normal performance again, but that was definitely not a trend reversal, just a small sign of life.
Felix Goerner
Source: www.sport.de
