Piastri Wins First F1 Race after Norris Obeys Team Orders in 1-2 for McLaren at Hungarian GP

 McLaren's Australian driver Oscar Piastri (R) is congratulated by McLaren's British driver Lando Norris on the podium after the Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring race track in Mogyorod near Budapest on July 21, 2024. (AFP)
McLaren's Australian driver Oscar Piastri (R) is congratulated by McLaren's British driver Lando Norris on the podium after the Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring race track in Mogyorod near Budapest on July 21, 2024. (AFP)
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Piastri Wins First F1 Race after Norris Obeys Team Orders in 1-2 for McLaren at Hungarian GP

 McLaren's Australian driver Oscar Piastri (R) is congratulated by McLaren's British driver Lando Norris on the podium after the Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring race track in Mogyorod near Budapest on July 21, 2024. (AFP)
McLaren's Australian driver Oscar Piastri (R) is congratulated by McLaren's British driver Lando Norris on the podium after the Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring race track in Mogyorod near Budapest on July 21, 2024. (AFP)

Australian driver Oscar Piastri won his first Formula One race after teammate Lando Norris handed him back the lead to complete a McLaren one-two at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday.

That outstanding result came after a long and at times awkward back-and-forth between the British team and its top driver before Norris finally obeyed orders to let Piastri back in front.

Piastri started second behind pole-sitting Norris and beat him to the first turn. Norris then got ahead after a pit-stop strategy that favored him despite being behind his teammate, but he eventually listened to team orders and let Piastri take the victory.

"This is the day I dreamed of as a kid, standing on the top step of the podium," the 23-year-old Piastri said. "A bit complicated at the end, but I put myself in a good position off the start.

"I had a lot of trust in Lando, and I think it was a fair decision to swap us back at the end."

Lewis Hamilton finished third behind the papaya-colored pair for his record-extending 200th career podium.

Points leader Max Verstappen finished fifth behind Charles Leclerc in a Ferrari and has now gone three races without a victory. Verstappen still leads the standings with 265 points to Norris' 189 but the Dutchman has seen Red Bull's speed advantage evaporate this summer.

RADIO DRAMA

McLaren's huge victory will also be remembered for the team debate over which driver would finally come out on top.

At first, the team told Piastri that the pit strategy was to ensure Norris could keep Hamilton at bay, while asking Norris to give the place back "at his convenience."

As the laps ticked by and Norris didn't budge, McLaren told Piastri that he could get back in front when he caught up with Norris. Finally, the team turned to pleading with Norris just to let Piastri by.

"I know you will do the right thing," the team told Norris. After a long silence, Norris replied "tell him to catch up then please."

The tension was building until Norris eased up and allowed Piastri past with two laps to go.

Piastri and Norris exchanged a brief handshake while taking off their helmets and after both were congratulated by McLaren staff and other drivers.

"I don’t know any driver who when leading the race is happy to swap back, that’s not the nature of drivers," McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said. "That’s why we have to recall our principles ... in these battles, Lando will need the support of Oscar and the support of the team."

Lando had no harsh words before stepping onto the second spot on the winners podium, even though he had come so close to adding to his maiden F1 win in Miami in May — and to chipping further into Verstappen's advantage in the standings.

"An amazing day as a team, that is the main thing. I am so happy. It has been a long journey to achieve this on merit," Norris said after his 12th career runner-up finish. "Oscar had a good start. (His win) was coming at some point, and he deserved it today."

When asked directly about the decision to cede his lead, Norris said curtly: "The team asked me to do it so I did it, that’s it."

Piastri, for his part, took a long breath when asked how he spent the 20-laps trailing Norris before admitting it was an anxious spell.

"The longer you leave it, the more you get a bit nervous, but yeah, I think it was the right thing," he said.

Piastri became the seventh different winner in 13 races this season that started looking like another cruise for the three-time defending champion Verstappen but has now turned into a fight. Red Bull saw its lead in the constructors championship reduced to 389-338 over McLaren, after Verstappen's teammate Sergio Pérez continued to struggle and finished seventh.

Piastri was a champion in F3 and F2 before he made the jump to the motorsport’s elite competition last season with McLaren. It was the Melbourne native's first victory in 35 F1 races. He finished runner-up twice recently, in Monaco and Austria. His previous biggest F1 achievement was winning the sprint race at Qatar in 2023.

Born in April 2001, Piastri became the first F1 winner born in this century.

VERSTAPPEN VS HAMILTON

While McLaren was unchallenged on the track, Hamilton and Verstappen delivered the most exciting driving at the Hungaroring.

Hamilton had already held off Verstappen during a long stretch before the Dutchman tried again to pass him on the final laps with third place at stake.

But as Verstappen lunged past Hamilton on the inside of a right-hand corner, he locked his front wheels and his back clipped Hamilton's Mercedes, sending the Red Bull's rear airborne before veering off the track. Verstappen got back into the race but had lost a place to Leclerc in the process.

"The close battle we had at the end was a bit hair-raising, but that is racing," Hamilton said.

Carlos Sainz was sixth in the other Ferrari. Mercedes' George Russell was eighth, behind Pérez. Yuki Tsunoda of RB and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll closed out the points positions.

The Hungarian GP marks the start of the second half of the season. Next up is the Belgian GP on July 28.



African players in Europe: Salah Drives Liverpool Closer to Title

Liverpool star Mohamed Salah (R) scored his Premier League-leading 25th goal of the season in the win over Manchester City - AFP
Liverpool star Mohamed Salah (R) scored his Premier League-leading 25th goal of the season in the win over Manchester City - AFP
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African players in Europe: Salah Drives Liverpool Closer to Title

Liverpool star Mohamed Salah (R) scored his Premier League-leading 25th goal of the season in the win over Manchester City - AFP
Liverpool star Mohamed Salah (R) scored his Premier League-leading 25th goal of the season in the win over Manchester City - AFP

Egypt star Mohamed Salah scored one goal and created the other as Liverpool beat Manchester City 2-0 at the weekend, a win that pushed the Reds ever closer to the Premier League title.

Salah has scored 30 goals in all competitions this season, including nine in his last eight matches for leaders Liverpool.

Here, AFP Sport highlights African headline-makers in the top European leagues:

MOHAMED SALAH (Liverpool)

He was the catalyst of a victory that moved the table toppers a giant step closer to the title. Salah netted with a deflected strike from a clever corner routine in the 14th minute. The 32-year-old then showed his strength and desire by getting past City defender Josko Gvardiol before whipping over a cross that Dominik Szoboszlai converted.

BETO (Everton)

The Guinea-Bissau striker reached 10 goals in all competitions this term after scoring in a 2-2 draw with Manchester United. Beto struck for the fifth time in his last five appearances, firing past United goalkeeper Andre Onana in the 19th minute to put Everton ahead. Mali international Abdoulaye Doucoure was the other Everton scorer.

YOANE WISSA, BRYAN MBEUMO (Brentford)

Democratic Republic of Congo forward Wissa put the Bees on course for a 4-0 win at lowly Leicester, while Cameroon forward Mbeumo also scored. Wissa bagged the 17th-minute opener with a close-range finish before Mbeumo scored 10 minutes later with a fine finish. Mbeumo has 15 goals in all competitions this season, and Wissa 13.

ITALY - ADEMOLA LOOKMAN (ATALANTA)

The Nigerian international took his season's Serie A goals tally to 12 after a brace in the 5-0 demolition of Empoli, which kept his third-placed side within three points of leaders Inter Milan. Lookman scored two classy goals, but the forward seemed unconvinced about suggestions his spat with coach Gian Piero Gasperini was over. Gasperini angered Lookman after Tuesday's Champions League elimination by Club Brugge, calling his star attacker the worst penalty taker he had ever seen. Asked by Sky Sport if the row was behind him, Lookman shrugged his shoulders and said "finished?", fuelling rumours of a mid-year exit.

GERMANY - SERHOU GUIRASSY (Borussia Dortmund)

Sizzling Guirassy scored four goals as Borussia demolished Union Berlin 6-0 to keep their slim Bundesliga top-four hopes alive. The Guinea international put Dortmund two goals ahead before half-time through a header. His other three goals -- a left-foot rocket, a tap-in and another header -- came in nine second-half minutes.

AMINE ADLI (Bayer Leverkusen)

Making his first start since fracturing his leg in October, Adli scored and laid on an assist as Leverkusen won 2-0 at Holstein Kiel to keep in touch with leaders Bayern Munich. The Moroccan latched on to an inch-perfect pass and chipped the ball into the net just before half-time.

FRANCE - ACHRAF HAKIMI (Paris Saint-Germain)

The Morocco star, runner-up for the 2024 African footballer of the year prize, is having a tremendous season for PSG and scored twice in the Ligue 1 leaders' 3-2 win at Lyon. It is just the second time he has scored twice in one game for PSG since joining the club from Inter Milan in 2021.

MESCHACK ELIA (Nantes)

The DR Congo winger came off the bench to score a late goal which clinched a precious 3-1 win for struggling Nantes over Lens. It was a first goal for the former TP Mazembe player since joining Nantes from Swiss side Young Boys on loan this month.