The Prague Post - Norris relishing combat with McLaren teammate Piastri

The 25-year-old Briton, who trimmed Piastri's lead in the tile race to nine points, finished the race just 0.698 seconds ahead as they crossed the line to secure the team's 200th victory in Formula One and record 13th in Hungary.

"I’m dead!" said Norris, who had switched to a one-stop strategy after a poor opening lap and then battled to resist Piastri’s attacks in the closing laps.

"It was tough, we weren’t really planning on a one-stop at the beginning, but after the first lap it was kind of our only option to get back into things.

"It was tough in the final stint, with Oscar catching. I was pushing flat out, you know, so my voice has gone a little bit!"

Piastri stayed with his two-stop strategy and had a tyre advantage, but on the tight and technical Hungaroring track found it impossible to pass his team-mate.

"I didn’t think it would probably get us to win. I thought it would get us into second, but I knew if I had some clean air, and I could push, I could maybe make things work and that’s what we did.

"It's always a bit of a gamble with these things, but it also requires no mistakes, good laps, good strategy -- all these things -- and that’s what we had today so I’m very happy."

He said his win, which moved him within reach of overhauling Piastri when the season resumes after F1’s August break, had been fun, but was not in any way decisive.

"We're so tightly fought, it's hard to say that momentum is on anyone's side, but we’re fighting hard, both of us, and it’s fun. It’s tough, but fun racing with Oscar.

- 'Credit to Oscar' -

"And it’s great for us as a team, another 1-2 and our 200th win in Formula One.

"Credit to Oscar, he put up a good charge and I just about held on, so I look forward to many more of these."

Piastri, who was within a second,said: "I pushed as hard as I could. I saw Lando going for a one (stop) so I knew I was going to have to overtake on track, which is easier said then done around here.

"I tried a few things, but it was a gamble either way and, unfortunately, we were just on the other side of it.

Piastri questioned his team’s decision to try to ‘undercut’ pole sitter and early leader Charles Leclerc of Ferrari in the early stages of the race.

"I’m not sure that was the right call in the end,” he said.

That call ensured Piastri would be on a two-stop strategy while Norris kept his options open – and as Leclerc fell away from leading, Mercedes' George Russell stormed through to finish third ahead of him in a frustrated fourth place for Ferrari.

The outcome was McLaren's fourth consecutive 1-2 in succession and Norris's fifth win this year and ninth of his career.

McLaren now lead Ferrari by 299 points in the constructors’ championship ahead of the final 10 races of the season starting at the Dutch Grand Prix on August 31.

T.Musil--TPP