Will Mclaren Be Worried About Norris-piastri Relationship?

Lando Norris conscionable held disconnected Oscar Piastri arsenic he led location a McLaren one-two astatine nan Hungarian Grand Prix, narrowing nan spread to nan Australian to 9 points successful nan conflict for nan drivers' championship.

Formula 1 now has a summertime break earlier heading to Zandvoort for nan Dutch Grand Prix from 29-31 August.

BBC Sport F1 analogous Andrew Benson answers your latest questions pursuing nan title astatine nan Hungaroring.

Will McLaren beryllium privately worried astir nan tense conflict eroding nan narration betwixt nan 2 drivers, aft Oscar Piastri again tried to dive-bomb Lando Norris? And if so, what tin they opportunity to some drivers to support them some happy? – Jake

McLaren were pleased pinch nan measurement the Hungarian Grand Prix played out. They felt it epitomised nan accuracy they person espoused for their intra-team title betwixt nan drivers.

They are allowed to title each other, arsenic agelong arsenic they are adjacent - and that includes nan anticipation of divergent strategies to effort to triumph a title that has been getting distant from 1 aliases another.

That's what Lando Norris did successful Hungary connected Sunday. After uncovering himself successful each nan incorrect places trying to walk Oscar Piastri disconnected nan line, Norris had to conflict backmost from 5th spot astatine nan extremity of nan first lap.

He and technologist Will Joseph opted for a one-stop strategy that McLaren had not really considered would beryllium a superior prime pre-race. It won him way position complete Piastri for his last stint, and he managed it to perfection.

McLaren did their champion to springiness Piastri nan champion imaginable opportunity to hit Norris - by giving him arsenic large a tyre offset arsenic imaginable wrong nan bounds of nan title duration, moreover to nan grade of costing him way position to Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.

But it did not activity retired for Piastri - he caught Norris pinch a fewer laps to go, but Norris had kept his tyres successful decent style and was capable to fend his team-mate off.

It created a tense, fascinating race. More than that, nan power transmissions - peculiarly those betwixt Piastri and technologist Tom Stallard, arsenic Piastri said he "didn't care" astir Leclerc, each he wanted was to effort to hit Norris - revealed for nan first clip conscionable really overmuch this conflict intends to some drivers.

Relations person been - and stay - truthful harmonious that it has sometimes been difficult to admit nan strength of nan title fight, really overmuch it intends to them, from nan drivers' nationalist utterances. This near nary uncertainty astir it.

Far from being concerned, McLaren's guidance were thrilled.

Chief executive serviceman Zak Brown described it arsenic "an epic finish".

Team main Andrea Stella said connected Sunday: "When you person 2 awesome drivers, for illustration Lando and Oscar, who title for a triumph successful a Formula 1 expansive prix, and title for nan drivers' championship, it's ever going to beryllium very close.

"But that was patient racing, it was adjacent racing astatine nan aforesaid time. It was decidedly wrong our principles.

"We had a spot of a lock-up pinch Oscar, but astatine nan aforesaid time, Lando near immoderate space, because he knew that Oscar would person been astatine nan limit of braking.

"We support being very proud of our Lando and Oscar racing. This is simply a awesome measurement of honouring F1 racing. These are nan values of McLaren, and it's going to be, hopefully, a matter betwixt nan 2 McLaren drivers, moreover if we saw Ferrari coming was successful nan title for nan triumph for two-thirds of nan race.

"I deliberation we person a very entertaining and absorbing last portion of nan season."

With Max Verstappen staying astatine Red Bull for adjacent year, it would look definite Mercedes will now re-sign George Russell. Is location immoderate proposal of really he feels astir seemingly being considered nan 2nd action to Max fixed really good he has driven this year? - Tom

Russell made it very clear successful nan lead-up to nan Hungarian Grand Prix that he was not particularly comfortable astir nan measurement his contractual business has been dealt pinch this year.

He is some managed and employed by Mercedes, truthful nan squad are efficaciously negotiating pinch themselves astir his contract.

As Russell put it: "Something we request to deliberation about. What do they want and what do I want?

"We person been successful a spot of a unsocial business for nan past fewer months. I don't person immense powerfulness successful this agreement. And possibly interests were not aligned for nan past six months.

"But it's my occupation to execute and trim that risk.

"I still spot Toto [Wolff] and nan squad will proceed to support me, but for Kimi [Antonelli] and me, nan past six months person not been nan astir assuring and that is conflicting."

Both Russell and Antonelli will proceed to title for Mercedes adjacent year. It's besides clear that nan aforesaid business arsenic arose this twelvemonth could originate again next.

Team leader Toto Wolff's liking successful Max Verstappen is not going to spell away, and if Red Bull are not competitory adjacent year, past Verstappen could good beryllium looking for a measurement out.

Is location immoderate clear mentation arsenic to why Aston Martin performed truthful overmuch amended successful Hungary than successful nan past? Both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll were importantly faster than nan erstwhile week. - Stan

Aston Martin themselves were a spot confused arsenic to why their shape had improved truthful overmuch for nan Hungarian Grand Prix.

After all, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll were together connected nan backmost statement of nan grid successful Belgium nan week before, and location they were together connected nan 3rd statement successful Hungary.

But location doesn't look that overmuch of a mystery, really.

Alonso said: "I would opportunity that it's way characteristics, to beryllium honest. We didn't alteration nan car massively since Spa, 7 days ago. No caller parts for anybody. Just nan layout, nan characteristics of nan circuit is conscionable suiting our car, apparently.

"It will beryllium bully to understand why nan car is operating successful this saccharine spot here, because if we understand that, we tin usage it successful nan adjacent fewer races."

There are 2 things to deliberation astir here. One is that, earlier Spa, Aston Martin had been connected a affirmative trajectory aft introducing a awesome upgrade astatine nan Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix successful mid-May.

Alonso qualified 5th astatine Imola, seventh successful Monaco, 10th successful Spain, sixth successful Canada, 11th successful Austria and ninth astatine Silverstone.

In that context, it's nan Spa consequence that should beryllium seen arsenic retired of kilter, not Hungary.

And that's simply because nan Aston Martin is simply a car pinch mediocre aerodynamic efficiency, which struggles connected nan straights. And two-thirds of Spa is straights. The Hungaroring has a overmuch higher percent of corners.

Silverstone is besides a accelerated track, but nan different quality is that Aston Martin ran an old-spec level astatine Spa, reasoning it would amended suit nan way - including pinch nan rumor of bottoming astatine high-speed astatine Eau Rouge.

This meant abandoning nan caller level introduced astatine Silverstone for a previous-spec 1 introduced astatine Imola.

Perhaps that besides played a part.

Alonso drove a superb title connected Sunday, committing early to nan one-stop strategy that won Lando Norris nan expansive prix, to person his grid position successful Hungary into nan aforesaid title result. And Stroll was little than 10 seconds down successful seventh.

It would look logical to presume that Aston Martin's shape whitethorn proceed to up and down according to way characteristics from now on.

Of nan adjacent fewer races, Monza will apt beryllium a tricky arena for them. But astatine Zandvoort and Singapore they tin beryllium expected to beryllium contending for nan apical 10 again.

Does holding investigations aft a title has vanished harm nan credibility of F1? I can't deliberation of immoderate different athletics wherever nan consequence tin alteration afterwards. - Martin

This is presumably a reference to nan determination to look into nan incident betwixt Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton astatine Turn Four aft nan title successful Hungary.

This should beryllium seen arsenic a guidance by nan FIA to galore requests from teams and drivers successful nan past to look into perchance contentious incidents thoroughly, alternatively than make decisions themselves during nan race.

Take nan controversy betwixt Verstappen and Lando Norris successful Austin past year. Then, McLaren based on that stewards should person heard nan views of some drivers earlier making a decision.

That's what nan stewards decided to do successful Hungary.

As it turned out, Hamilton did not move up for nan hearing. Verstappen said: "I don't deliberation Lewis really felt a batch for it because if he really felt thing for it, past of people he's location successful nan stewards' room, right?

"I deliberation some of america didn't person nan champion of weekends anyway, truthful that's conscionable 1 small thing."

Of course, it whitethorn besides person been that Hamilton did not move up because he was successful a bad temper aft a difficult play and he didn't fancy arguing nan flip complete an incident that would make nary quality to nan consequence of his race.

The stewards' verdict said that Verstappen was fresh to springiness Hamilton much room, but that Hamilton had chosen to spell disconnected nan way himself. It added: "There was nary interaction and nan incident does not suffice arsenic forcing different car disconnected way contempt nan eager quality of nan overtaking effort and return nary further action."