Lando Norris admits he is "not too proud" of the way he overshadowed team-mate Oscar Piastri's first Formula One victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix last weekend. (More Motorsport News)
Piastri led Norris in a McLaren one-two at the Hungaroring, though the Brit did not allow his team-mate back into the lead following the pit stops until the very end of the race, despite being ordered over team radio to do so.
The incident cast a shadow over McLaren's first one-two since the 2021 Italian Grand Prix, at which Norris was second to Daniel Ricciardo.
After the controversy, Piastri became the seventh different race winner in F1 this season. Only 11 seasons have ever seen more – 11 in 1982, nine in 1975, and eight in 1977, 1983, 1985, 2003 and 2012.
Speaking ahead of this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix, Norris acknowledged he had regrets, saying: "Could it have been handled slightly differently from both the team side and a personal side?
"Yes, absolutely, and I think we wouldn't have been having this conversation now in some ways.
"Whether people on the outside are going to come up with their own stories of what happened and what I would and wouldn't have done, I don't mind that.
"The things that I could have done, the fact that I kind of clouded over Oscar's first race win in Formula One is something I've not felt too proud about.
"The fact we had a one-two and that was barely a headline after the race… The fact we had a one-two and nothing was really said about it, that's the bit I felt worst about."
Norris has taken pole position in two of the last four races (in Spain and Hungary) after doing so just once in his previous 113 starts.
Excluding Lewis Hamilton, who achieved the feat twice with the team in 2012, Norris could become the first McLaren driver to take back-to-back poles since Kimi Raikkonen in 2006 this weekend.
Norris does feel coming through the incident could make McLaren stronger as a team, adding: "We discussed it, we have spoken about it.
"It's not good that we had it, but it's a good thing we've had it at the same time, because we've learned from it and hopefully it's done better next time."
