“First and foremost,I am a McLaren racing driver. I’m not Oscar Piastri racing… That’s always the big picture,” he said on Wednesday morning.

“The team orders go both ways. We’re both very open and very honest about it.

“The first priority at the weekend was to secure the one-two for the team... It doesn’t come without some tough decisions,and there’s emotions behind them. But we both know that at the end of the day we’re racing for the team. I think with the last pit stop if we were genuinely racing each other the strategies would have been very different.”

Norris,who is second in the drivers’ standings,was asked after the race whether the highest-ranked driver should be prioritised,and gave a clipped answer. “We’ll see at the end of the year.”

Piastri would have done what Norris did. “I would have given the position back. I fully understand he’s a racing driver,so am I,and when you’re in the lead of a race it’s not a nice thing to have to let it back through. But we are racing for the team and certain decisions were made on the basis that we’re racing for the team to get the one-two,” he said. “It would have been reciprocated had it been the other way around.”

The Australian,placed fifth,believes McLaren can win the Constructor’s Championship,and was speaking very much as if Red Bull’s rivals believe their outright dominance is over.

‘The fight is well and truly on. I don’t even think we’re really a long shot of winning the championship now. We are a genuine chance.’

Oscar Piastri

“The fight is well and truly on. I don’t even think we’re really a long shot of winning the championship now. We are a genuine chance.”

Piastri’s manager and mentor,nine-time grand prix winner Mark Webber,was not in Hungary to witness his maiden victory,and nor was Piastri’s girlfriend,Lily. Judging by the maturity he displayed in the aftermath and the consistently fast performance of the McLaren cars at contrasting circuits this season,they will have plenty more chances to see him salute.

And what about those predictions that the young man from bayside Melbourne will rise to be a world champion?

“It’s a nice confidence boost,but I think realistically it[the victory] doesn’t change that much for me,” Piastri said. “I’ve still got things I want to improve... If I want to be world champion,which I certainly do,you can’t just settle for being pretty good or doing most things right. You’ve got to do everything right.”

News,results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Monday.Sign up for our Sport newsletter.