Piastri backs McLaren's different race plans

Oscar Piastri has backed McLaren over strategy calls despite them arguably denying him a victory at the last race in Hungary and reducing his Formula One championship lead.

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The Australian qualified ahead of teammate Lando Norris at the Hungaroring and appeared the quicker car of the duo during the race.

But after Norris, 25, lost places early on to Mercedes' George Russell and Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, the Briton opted for a one-stop strategy which paid off and denied his two-stopping teammate the victory.

Norris, winner of three of the last four races, is now nine points behind Piastri, 24, with 10 rounds remaining. McLaren have gone one-two in the last four races.

In the aftermath, McLaren defended the race effectively being decided on strategy and their drivers' right to adopt different approaches.

Piastri told reporters ahead of this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort that the differing race strategies had been discussed.