Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton refused team orders, McLaren reminded

“We know Ayrto🐎n Senna wouldn’t take team instructions, we know Michael Schuma🦹cher wouldn’t"

Lando Norris (GBR) McLaren MCL38 makes a pit stop. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 14, Belgian Grand Prix, Spa
Lando Norris (GBR) McLaren MCL38 makes a pit stop. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 14,…

McLaren have been reminded about the great drivers who squabbled with teammates, afte꧙r Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri𒅌’s awkward Hungarian Grand Prix.

McLaren spent the final part of the race demanding Norris conceded the lead to his te𓆉ammate Piastri, after their differing pitstop strategies.

Piastri’s maiden grand prix victory arrived amid Norris’ frustration, although he later insisted McLaren’s call was c༒orrect.

“It was the right decision,” Eddie Jordan told the Formu✨la For Success podcast.

“Once the team makes the decis🎀ion, the drive🍸r has to comply.

“Ralf Schumacher was never happy with me telling him not t🌠o pass Damon Hill.”

David Coulthard said: “I jus💎t🔜 felt it could have been communicated better.

“Oscar, this was his moment to get his elbows🔜 out. The results were going L✱ando’s way.

“If you start 🌺getting a clear points leader, tꦜhe team then has to support that driver.

“The drivers’ championship is the priority, that’s what the fans are observ♏ing.

“I just felt that having the race engineer give the instructi🌟on - in modern Formula 1 it is played out for all♒ of us to hear - it puts the race engineer and driver relationship under strain.

“As Max Verstappen and Gianpiero Lambiase’s relationಞship feels under-strain because tensions are running.

“Wไe need to cover off the rights and wrongs of how McLaren managed t🌌he victory.

“It took away from the joy and happ🐭iness of💧 Piastri.

“When you think of the legacy and history of this sport, you look for exceptional drivers. Those fighters that do things we couldn’t do, and say thinꦚgs we couldn’t say.

“I wonder if having this team nice, 💟all doing it together, only works until the crunch point.

“Let’s assume McLaren continue this amazing growth. Let’sജ say next year, it is basically Lando and Oscar trading victories.

“It will come to a head. No amount of ‘remember the team’ o๊r no amount of ‘listen to instructions’ will get in the way of an༒ absolute desire to be a champion.

“We know Ayrton Senna wouldn’t take team instructions, we know Michael Sc🧸humacher wouldn’t, we know Sebastian Vettel didn’t, Max Verstappen won’t.

“Lewis Hamilton, iꦗn Malaysia, was asked to move over for Nico Rosberg🍒. He just didn’t.

“Lewis,🍸 in Abu Dhabi, in the battle for the world championship, was backing Nico up into the pack, hoping the p൩ack would overtake him.

“That was uncomfortable for Mercedes.”

McLaren rebounded🔯 from their 1-2 finish in Hungary with Piastri finishing second at last weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, and Norris fifth.

Norris is second in the F1 standings at the summer break🅠, 78 points shy of Max Verstappen.

Red Bull’s Christian Horner claimed McLaren’s team orders in Hungary were wrong becausꦆe Norris is the closest challenger to Verstappen.

Read More