Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has suggested McLaren should have allowed Lando Norris to win the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Norris was leading after the final stunt when McLaren made its pit stop first, giving the Briton an edge over Oscar Piastri.
The Briton initially refused to give up his position, but after several radio calls with his team, he passed Piastri with three laps remaining, giving the Australian his maiden Grand Prix win.
You asked Sky Sports News Horner said of what he would have done in that situation: “Lando is an experienced driver and I would say the number one driver. It's standard practice to give the lead driver the first stop and with Oscar he could have done that quite easily.
“But they gave Landau a two-lap undercut, so they obviously wanted him to be ahead of Oscar. After they let him get ahead, it's hard for a driver to say, 'We want you to be behind your team-mate.'
“If this championship is lost by seven points at the end of the day, every point counts at the end of the day. Different teams race differently, but Lando is the closest challenger and at some point you have to put your eggs in one basket.”
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Watch Zak Brown discuss McLaren's controversial Hungarian GP and the fight for the Constructors' Championship.
Perstaffen and Lambiase continue public talks
Another controversial incident in Hungary was Max Verstappen's outburst on the radio before finishing fifth.
Verstappen grew increasingly frustrated after last Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix, and his communications with Red Bull have become a major topic of conversation ahead of this weekend's race in Belgium.
The current world champion insists the language he uses with his team is part of his approach and “I say what I want to say”.
Verstappen and his engineer Gianpiero Lambise held a public meeting in Spa-Francorchamps on Thursday.
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Max Verstappen looks back on the Hungarian GP and his 'vocal' frustration on team radio.
“You talked about it collectively and that strategy got some flak,” Horner said. Sky Sports F1.
“What you don't want is for people to become conservative because they're afraid of getting their heads bitten off. I think everyone on our team knows Max. We know how he reacts to situations, and honestly, it was water off a duck's back.
“It was just like, 'Okay, let him talk.' If we could have taken the radio out, we would have taken it out at that point. That's against the rules. So that's what happened.”
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Karun Chandhok delves into Max Verstappen's frustration at the Hungarian Grand Prix and whether his anger was justified.
Horner was on the radio during the infamous “Multi-21” incident at the 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix when Sebastian Vettel ignored team orders.
But he didn't say anything to Verstappen in Hungary because he didn't think it would help.
“At that point, it doesn't make any sense,” Horner explained. “It just makes it worse.”
“Max is driving with all his heart and passion, and you guys just kind of burn that passion,” Horner said of why he never went on the radio himself.
“So if you just let him get it out of his body, he calms down very quickly. Even when he got to the airport in the evening, he was already completely calm. Every driver is different.
“When you listen to Oscar Piastri on the radio, he doesn't say anything. When you listen to Max, it's a different experience.”
Horner: It's natural for drivers to grumble.
Verstappen, who leads Norris by 76 points ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, has been a vocal radio personality throughout his career.
The Dutchman said F1 was a unique sport where the whole world could hear the drivers and teams' radio conversations, something Horner also echoed.
“We know Max is a very passionate person and that’s one of the things that makes him so great,” he said.
“When he gets frustrated, he sometimes complains, and we hear that a lot.
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Christian Horner was surprised when McLaren replaced Lando Norris with Oscar Piastri to win the Hungarian Grand Prix.
“I'm sure if every Premier League player had a microphone, you'd hear them complaining. The problem with sport now is that there's a microphone before you get in the car, in the car and when you get out of the car. Obviously it's not nice to hear him complaining, but he's a very passionate driver who does what he does.
“You know with him there's a spike and then there's a downturn. GP and he have a long relationship and they know each other inside and out. So we sat down and discussed it on Thursday and honestly, I think it's a temporary thing and we'll get through it.
“Thursday is 'Okay, let's have a weekend' and the best way to deal with any issue is to talk about it, have a discussion about it and GP and Max have done that. They've turned the page and are focused on this weekend and trying to get through the summer in the best shape possible.”
Belgian GP live schedule on Sky Sports F1
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Take a look back at some of the most dramatic moments from the Belgian Grand Prix over the years.
Sunday July 28th
7:25am: F3 Feature Race
8:55 AM: F2 Feature Race
10:40 a.m.: Porsche Supercup
12:30pm: Grand Prix Sunday – Belgian GP Preparation*
2pm: Belgian Grand Prix*
4pm: Checked Flag: Belgian GP Reaction
5pm: Ted's Laptop
*Also live on Sky Sports Main Event
Formula 1 action continues this weekend with the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday at 2pm, the last race before F1’s summer break. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month membership – no contract, cancel anytime
