In response to Lando Norris following McLaren team orders in letting Oscar Piastri through to win the Hungarian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton claimed that former title rival Max Verstappen wouldn’t have done the same in the Briton’s position.
One school of thought being applied to the Norris/Piastri dilemma at the Hingaroring was the fact that Norris conceding seven points in the championship could come back to haunt him if he narrowly misses out on eradicating Verstappen’s 76 points advantage in the Drivers’ standings.
With that in mind, Hamilton was asked by the media during Thursday’s build-up to the Belgian Grand Prix whether Norris made the right call in eventually putting team interests above his own.
“It’s not my call to make,” Hamilton said.
“I mean, if that was Max, he wouldn’t have let him pass. I don’t know what to say. It’s not for me to decide.
“If I was in that situation, I would do what the team asked me to do, as hard as it is. Ultimately, because it’s not about you. It’s about the 2,000 people that you’re representing and working with.”
Hamilton has previous in this regard amid his 2017 title fight with then-Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel.
Given the chance to pass Valtteri Bottas for third place and chase after Kimi Raikkonen in the second Ferrari, Hamilton abided by team orders to let his team-mate back past when his pursuit failed, giving up three points to eventually race winner Vettel.
Hamilton’s cheeky barb in Verstappen’s direction could be in part due to the Dutchman’s previous dealings with Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez.
At the 2022 Sao Paulo GP, the third race after he’d secured his second Drivers’ title, Verstappen refused to let Perez through sixth place as the Mexican was fighting for second in the standings with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
The Dutchman had his reasons however, citing an alleged attempt by Perez earlier in the year to thwart him during qualifying for the Monaco GP with a deliberate spin at Portier, preventing Verstappen from completing his final quali lap.
On the other side of the Hamilton/Bottas coin, the Finn had several instances during his Mercedes tenure where he had to play second fiddle to his team-mate at the behest of Mercedes.
Bottas, ever the playful character, gave a humorous response during Thursday’s Belgian GP driver press conference when asked about McLaren’s Hungary ordeal.
“I’ve been there, mate,” the Finn said.
After RB’s Daniel Ricciardo interjected asking “Russia, 2018?” Bottas continued – “There were a few,” he said.
Continuing, the former Mercedes driver explained “There’s certain rules, depends on the team, depends on the situation, but normally it comes back to you. So obviously I would give the place back because I’m an amazing team player.”
Hamilton’s current Mercedes George Russell hasn’t yet been put in a position to give up a victory due to Mercedes only recently returning to winning ways, but, knowing Norris well, he was able to provide his insight on what could have been going through the No.4 McLaren driver’s head as he considered team orders in Hungary.
“When you’re in the car, there’s so many emotions at play,” Russell said.
“You’re very sort of narrow-minded and often thinking mainly about yourself first, ahead of everything else.
“Of course, when you qualify for pole, you see an opportunity, a victory. That is right there in front of you, but potentially it’s going against you. It’s difficult.
“Of course, Lando, myself as well, we don’t have that many victories to our name. You can’t take it for granted that there will be another one right around the corner.
“But as Lewis said, it’s not about us, it’s about the team we represent.
“Knowing Lando, if I was watching that race live, I would think he was always going to give the place back.
“But I think often a driver wants to prove their point to a certain degree. But for me, it would have never been a doubt that he would go against the team.”
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