McLaren boss never doubted Norris as a team player

BUDAPEST : McLaren boss Andrea Stella said he never doubted Lando Norris would hand back the lead to winning team mate Oscar Piastri in Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix despite the Briton's clear reluctance.

The Italian made clear also that the consequences of ignoring team orders would have been severe.

"I know Lando enough...I know enough and well enough that inside Lando we have the race driver and the team player," he told reporters after McLaren's one-two finish at the Hungaroring.

"I would be extremely concerned if Lando had not demonstrated 'I am a race driver' here, because that's the impulse you need to fight hard. He demonstrated the spirit of the race driver," said Stella.

Norris started on pole position on Sunday but Piastri seized the lead at the start and remained ahead until the second round of pitstops, when McLaren brought in Norris first to cover against rivals behind.

Piastri then lost out in his later stop, with Norris ahead, and the team asked for the positions to be reversed - something the Briton eventually did three laps from the end after rising tension over the team radio.

The win was 23-year-old Australian Piastri's breakthrough first in Formula One, in his second season, while Norris was chasing his second, and is also keen to shrug off a reputation as an increasingly regular runner-up.

Norris is the closest challenger to Red Bull's championship leader Max Verstappen, albeit 76 points adrift, with Piastri only fifth and 40 points further back.

Stella said the drivers had been reminded before the race about the team's principles and values.

"The interests of the team come first. If you mess up on this matter, you cannot be part of the McLaren Formula One team," said Stella.

The Italian, who worked at