Piastri frustrated by Norris challenge in Hungary

Australian driver rues difficult overtake attempt after close second-place finish

Seeking to close the gap on his teammate, **Oscar Piastri** admitted that getting past **Lando Norris** at the Hungaroring was always a monumental task, ultimately finishing second and seeing his championship lead shrink.

A Frustrating Chase

The Australian driver was on fresher hard tires due to a two-stop strategy, a stark contrast to **Norris**’s single stop. This offered **Piastri** a significant advantage in the latter stages of the race. He closed a 12-second deficit, mounting a fierce challenge in the final three laps but couldn’t find a way past.

“I pushed as hard as I could. I think after I saw **Lando** going for a one [stop] I knew I was going to have overtake on track, which is much easier said than done around here.”

—Oscar Piastri, Formula 1 Driver

Despite the car showing strong pace throughout the weekend and particularly in the latter half of the race, **Piastri** narrowly missed out on a victory before the summer break. He acknowledged that while the team performed well, the strategy gamble didn’t quite pay off.

The Overtake Dilemma

**Piastri** attempted several moves on **Norris**, primarily at Turn 1, and came within inches of contact on the penultimate lap after a lock-up. However, he conceded that the nature of the circuit made overtaking exceptionally difficult, and he simply wasn’t close enough to make a decisive pass stick.

“I think I needed to be at least a couple of tenths closer, which was going to take a mistake from **Lando** to achieve that. I felt like that was going to be my best chance. You never want to try and save it for the next lap and then it never comes, so I thought I would at least try. Not quite.”

—Oscar Piastri, Formula 1 Driver

Earlier in the race, **Piastri** found himself behind pole-sitter **Charles Leclerc** after an early pit stop. While he eventually moved ahead of the Ferrari after a second stop, he couldn’t capitalize on his fresher tires to overhaul **Norris**.

**Piastri** wasn’t entirely surprised by **Norris**’s one-stop strategy, commenting that his teammate had little to lose at that point. He also questioned whether trying to undercut **Leclerc** was the optimal approach.

Championship Picture Tightens

The result in Hungary means **Piastri**’s lead in the Drivers’ Championship is now cut to a mere nine points. This closely contested battle underscores the fine margins in Formula 1, where a few tenths of a second can dictate the outcome of a race and the championship standings.