Piastri: Losing to Norris in Hungary Was ‘Painful’

Oscar Piastri admitted it was “painful” to lose narrowly to teammate Lando Norris at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Based on in-depth analysis, this article recaps Piastri’s response to the dramatic defeat, which tightened the drivers’ championship battle.

Transitioning to the race’s highlights, McLaren’s contrasting strategies led to Norris’s victory, leaving Piastri to settle for second place.

Piastri finished just 0.7 seconds behind Norris, who employed a risky one-stop strategy to recover from fifth place after the first lap. Piastri’s conventional two-stop approach made it tough to overtake, despite closing the gap after his second pit stop. The result cut Piastri’s championship lead to nine points heading into the summer break.

“Losing by such a small margin is obviously a bit painful,” Piastri told the media. Though disappointed, he acknowledged the race was “entertaining” for both drivers and spectators. His 12th podium in 14 races this season underscores his consistency, but the defeat to Norris stung.

Piastri avoided dwelling on what strategy should have been chosen, noting it’s “easy to say in hindsight.” Instead, he focused on positives, such as overtaking Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, who struggled in the final stint. This move secured Piastri’s second-place finish.

“We tried our best and got ahead of Charles,” said the former F2 and F3 champion. He emphasized the need to review strategy for future races without regretting the team’s decisions.

The narrow loss to Norris highlights the fierce competition within McLaren. With a nine-point championship lead, Piastri remains a strong title contender. McLaren’s dominant one-two finish in Hungary signals their strength for the second half of 2025. Piastri is expected to leverage this experience to refine his strategy and performance.

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