McLaren boss Andrea Stella stated he by no means doubted Lando Norris would hand again the result in successful workforce mate Oscar Piastri in Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix regardless of the Briton’s clear reluctance.

The Italian made clear additionally that the implications of ignoring workforce orders would have been extreme.

“I do know Lando sufficient…I do know sufficient and nicely sufficient that inside Lando we’ve got the race driver and the workforce participant,” he informed reporters after McLaren’s one-two end on the Hungaroring.

“I might be extraordinarily involved if Lando had not demonstrated ‘I’m a race driver’ right here, as a result of that is the impulse you might want to battle laborious. He demonstrated the spirit of the race driver,” Stella stated.

Norris began on pole place on Sunday however Piastri seized the lead initially and remained forward till the second spherical of pitstops, when McLaren introduced in Norris first to cowl towards rivals behind.

Piastri then misplaced out in his later cease, with Norris forward, and the workforce requested for the positions to be reversed — one thing the Briton ultimately did three laps from the top after rising pressure over the workforce radio.

The win was 23-year-old Australian Piastri’s breakthrough first in Formulation One, in his second season, whereas Norris was chasing his second, and can be eager to shrug off a popularity as an more and more common runner-up.

Norris is the closest challenger to Crimson Bull’s championship chief Max Verstappen, albeit 76 factors adrift, with Piastri solely fifth and 40 factors additional again.

Stella stated the drivers had been reminded earlier than the race concerning the workforce’s rules and values.

“The pursuits of the workforce come first. If you happen to mess up on this matter, you can’t be a part of the McLaren Formulation One workforce,” Stella stated.

The Italian, who labored at Ferrari with Michael Schumacher, acknowledged that the workforce’s values may battle with the instincts of a racing driver however they have been at all times an important factor.

He emphasised additionally that each drivers remained on equal phrases.

“I believe when you’ve gotten Oscar and Lando we’re within the fortunate sufficient place that we do not actually need to resolve who’s a primary driver,” he stated. “We race honest and if one of many two drivers features on benefit a end result, that is protected.

“Possibly if it is the final couple of races and there is a sturdy championship curiosity for one of many two drivers we might revise this, however what I am anticipating is that it is the different driver coming to me and saying ‘in case you want my assist … I am out there.’

“I believe you construct this ethos in case you handle a race like as we speak in a good means, like I believe we’ve got carried out.”