David Croft, the prominent Formula One commentator, has raised questions about McLaren’s driver lineup strategy after Lando Norris’s recent victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix. The win marked Norris’s first of the season and was a milestone for McLaren as their inaugural triumph under the current regulatory framework. It also narrowed his gap to championship leader Kimi Antonelli from Mercedes to 91 points ahead of the season’s mid-way break.

Norris’s teammate, Oscar Piastri, who had briefly led the race before retiring due to a gearbox failure, currently sits seventh in the driver standings. He trails Norris by 36 points and Antonelli by 127. Croft suggested that Piastri has struggled to match Norris’s pace consistently throughout the season, not just at Budapest, which has prompted speculation about McLaren’s future focus.

Speaking on a recent episode of The F1 Show, Croft acknowledged Piastri as a skilled driver but pointed out a noticeable performance gap between him and Norris in the 2024 campaign. “Oscar’s got to find a way to match Lando’s pace,” Croft said, emphasizing that McLaren needs to leverage every potential advantage given the challenges facing rival teams such as Mercedes and Ferrari, who have exhibited strategic and reliability issues this year.

Despite the pressure, McLaren remains committed to its so-called ‘Papaya rules’ approach, which avoids officially designating a number one driver, aiming instead to provide equal opportunity for both racers. This policy came under scrutiny during last season’s intense intra-team championship battle, which saw Norris ultimately secure the world title ahead of Piastri and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen amid accusations from Piastri’s fanbase about perceived favoritism toward Norris.

Croft also noted that Norris remains a viable contender in the championship race. “I don’t think Lando is that far behind that he can’t make up a deficit,” he said, adding that the drivers’ title fight is still open, and the constructors’ championship remains competitive. Currently, McLaren holds third place in the constructors’ standings, 159 points adrift of Mercedes and 87 points behind Ferrari.

The team heads into the second half of the season with optimism spurred by the upgrade package that contributed to Norris’s breakthrough at Hungary. The key question now is whether McLaren will continue to back Norris as their primary hope to challenge for the championship or maintain their dual-driver strategy moving forward.