McLaren F1: Ralf Schumacher BLASTS team despite Hungarian Grand Prix success

Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, McLaren, Hungary, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

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F1 winner SLAMS McLaren despite Hungarian GP success

Ralf Schumacher has taken issue with McLaren

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Tuesday 23 July 2024 16:00 Updated: 20:42

Former Formula 1 driver and race winner Ralf Schumacher has blasted McLaren despite achieving a one-two finish at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Oscar Piastri took the chequered flag in Budapest to take his first grand prix victory, closely followed by team-mate Lando Norris, but not before a dramatic team orders affair in the final laps of the race.

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Piastri had been leading the grand prix, two seconds ahead of his team-mate, when McLaren strategists decided to undercut the Australian at the second round of pit stops in order to protect the team one-two.

They did so in the faith that Norris would hand the position back to Piastri and allow the 23-year-old to claim his first-ever grand prix victory. However, Norris pulled out a six-second gap to his team-mate, prompting rather emotional radio pleas from his team.

Oscar Piastri won the Hungarian Grand Prix

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri achieved a McLaren one-two

Schumacher slams 'stupid' McLaren

Eventually, Norris did hand Piastri back the lead of the race, two laps from the end, and McLaren did achieve a stunning one-two that has put them firmly in contention to challenge for the constructors' championship, a title that has eluded them since 1998.

“Yes, it’s a learning process, no question about it, but the main mistake was once again the strategy," he told Sky Germany.

Former F1 race winner Ralf Schumacher is now a pundit

"There was no need to bring Lando in beforehand. If they could have done things differently, it wouldn't have happened at all. Quite the opposite, if Lando had started, you would have seen a race if they had wanted to. Otherwise, nothing. That's the temptation as a racing driver.

"It's clear, how stupid do you have to be? You put your foot on the gas, drive ahead and then you say, let him come. I'll wait anyway, I'll let him pass when he's there. So everyone would do that."

McLaren Lando Norris Oscar Piastri Hungarian Grand Prix Ralf Schumacher