The parallels between Piastri's first F1 win and a McLaren legend's breakthrough

A first Formula 1 grand prix win with McLaren, caught in a team orders furore? Sure, it describes Oscar Piastri's Hungary victory adequately - if a little reductively - but last weekend's race isn't the only one that fits that bill.

So we're going to do that thing where we mysteriously hint at a similar example for a little bit longer, before the breakneck reveal of who it actually was in the next paragraph: indeed, a two-time McLaren champion earned his first grand prix win in similar circumstances, albeit with two former rival teams complicit in a team orders pact in 1997's season finale.

If anything, Mika Hakkinen's career trajectory is probably more similar to that of Lando Norris, also a long-time McLaren stalwart forced to wait for an age to chalk up an eventual maiden win. But the circumstances of Hakkinen's 1997 Jerez victory align more with Piastri's, although the Australian's breakthrough was much less complex - even if it sounded needlessly convoluted on the pitwall.

For Piastri, the swap was only made more complicated by a) his Turn 11 excursion, and b) Norris pitting first to undercut Lewis Hamilton. McLaren, having squandered at least three victory possibilities this year, likely wanted to lock down the 1-2 result first and then worry about the order. That Norris eventually acquiesced to the request that he let Piastri through ensured McLaren had the order it wanted.

But this looks entirely simple compared to the plan that yielded Hakkinen's first win, as the switch with David Coulthard coincided with McLaren making a hush-hush deal to help Williams and Jacques Villeneuve in beating Michael Schumacher to the title. In fact, Hakkinen winning the F1's final race in Jerez was the second most interesting thing about it.

Hold the phone: Ron Dennis willingly working with Frank Williams? As much as the two principals were on rival sides during the early 1990s, they had much in the way of deep-seated respect for one another: after all, these were two fierce competitors driven to make their teams technological powerhouses as electronic trickery and aerodynamic advancement came and went. Dennis and Williams came to the deal together: if McLaren helped Williams, Williams would not get in McLaren's way if the situation was right.

Hakkinen finally triumphed on his 96th GP start after numerous near-misses at Jerez in 1997

Photo by: Sutton Images

Hakkinen had endured more than his fair share of misfortune through 1997, particularly as the Mercedes V10 in the back of his car frequently liked to pop its clogs at inopportune moments.

While the Finn was leading at Silverstone, the engine went bang with seven laps to go. He was disqualified from third at Belgium, after a fuel sample was found to not conform to the FIA's homologation records, and then lost the engine again on the opening lap at Austria having taken the lead at the start. Nurburgring? Hakkinen led from pole, and the Merc powerplant once again gave up at two-thirds distance.

Perhaps McLaren felt like it owed Hakkinen, who had lost at least two or three wins over the '97 season. Amid today's much greater reliability record, today's McLaren probably felt that it had given Piastri short shrift in team orders calls more often than not, and the decision to lock in the order after Turn 1 seemed like the easiest way to give something back.

Was it the way Hakkinen would have liked to win his first race? Probably not, and the same could be said of Piastri

Not that the McLarens could really do much to help in 1997, when Schumacher got the better start and squeaked into a considerably sized early lead. But the silver cars had come into play when the German made his opening stop, emerging from the pitlane in between Hakkinen and Coulthard.

As Villeneuve closed on the pack after his own stop, Coulthard dropped in to clear the decks for the Canadian to chase Schumacher. Coincidence, or part of the plan? Perhaps, particularly as Heinz-Harald Frentzen was backing the pack up in the other Williams. Hakkinen also got out of the way with his later stop, which ensured Coulthard could overtake his team-mate shortly after with warmer Goodyears.

And, if McLaren and Williams had a quiet alliance ongoing, the same could be suggested of Ferrari and Sauber. Driver Norberto Fontana once alleged to an Argentine publication that Ferrari had instructed Sauber - which used the Prancing Horse's year-old engines - to assist in any way it could, an accusation that Peter Sauber denied. Regardless, Fontana was particularly recalcitrant while being lapped by Schumacher and Villeneuve, getting out of the German's way but baulking the Canadian for a number of corners to cost him over two seconds.

The McLarens were otherwise attempting to ensure that they did not interfere too much with Villeneuve, but couldn't gather enough pace for Schumacher to come out behind them following his second stop. Coulthard did however end up in front of the Williams driver after Villeneuve stopped, staying in front for a lap before making his own second stop.

Hakkinen was allowed back ahead of Coulthard to chase after Villeneuve as the McLaren team's pact with Williams reaped rewards

Photo by: Sutton Images

This set up the infamous Villeneuve-Schumacher clash, which left the Ferrari stranded in the gravel. Frentzen, sat on Villeneuve's rear as a tail-gunner, could pit and put the McLarens second and third. Villeneuve had sustained some damage from the clash and backed off slightly, giving the McLarens a chance to catch up.

Knowing that he simply had to finish fifth, Villeneuve just needed to continue. During the race, Williams informed his team that he'd done the deal with Dennis and that Villeneuve should let the McLaren pair through if they caught up, a decision not everyone - including Patrick Head - had agreed with.

Regardless, Villeneuve did not fight the pair too hard. Coulthard moved over so that Hakkinen could go after Villeneuve, and the Quebecois thought it best to simply bring the car home - even while trying to maintain some degree of pace. And so it came to pass: Villeneuve got out of the way three corners from the end to allow Hakkinen through, and gave Coulthard the place before the final turn.

Was it the way Hakkinen would have liked to win his first race? Probably not, and the same could be said of Piastri.

It was hard to decipher if Piastri was glum in the circumstance, or that the lack of celebration was simply down to his unflappable demeanour. Perhaps that's another trait he shares with Hakkinen: a taciturn exterior that drifts into desert-dry humour when the situation demands it. And Hakkinen hardly looked entirely enthused on the Jerez podium, but after a wait of 96 grands prix, he'd have taken the scrappiest win available if it simply got him off the mark.

Team orders won't have dampened Piastri's day, despite any suggestions to the contrary. He's a winner - for real this time - in F1, and there's surely more victories to come. And, once a driver is buried in the thick of a title fight, they probably have little regard for the manner in which they won their first race.

Now Piastri is off the mark, can he reach the same heights of achievement as Hakkinen did in his career?

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images