Norris takes part in the Hungarian GP as Piastri retires, handing McLaren their first win of the season

Lando Norris was able to win the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday, taking advantage of team-mate Oscar Piastri’s late retirement to hand McLaren their first win of the Formula 1 season at the Hungaroring.

Norris started from pole position and was in full control for most of the afternoon, crossing the finish line ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, with Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli completing the podium after another mature drive that helped him extend his championship lead to 50 points.

It was Norris’ 12th career Formula 1 win and a timely return to the podium after a frustrating start to the campaign.

“My pace today was probably one of the best I’ve ever had,” Norris said after the race.

“The car drove beautifully and I felt very confident, so a great race. I’m happy to be back and see number one again.”

PERFECTLY TIMED WIN

The Brit had to face an early challenge from Piastri, who made a great start from third on the grid and took the lead in the opening lap. McLaren looked set to celebrate a dominant one-two finish, with both drivers pulling away from the rest of the field.

However, the race swung in Norris’ favor during the second round of pit stops. Piastri lost crucial time after making contact with Carlos Sainz’s Williams in cycling traffic, allowing Norris, who stayed out longer before changing tires, to emerge in front.

From there, Norris controlled the pace at the front and never looked troubled, delivering a faultless drive to finally put McLaren on the podium this season.

PIASTRI’S HEART

Piastri’s hopes of victory ended cruelly with 14 laps remaining when a mechanical issue forced him to stop on track, ending what looked like another dominant afternoon for the Australian.

His retirement triggered an era of the virtual safety car that changed the battle for the leaders. Norris and the Ferrari drivers opted to pit while Verstappen and Antonelli stayed out, setting up an interesting battle for the remaining podium places.

Verstappen made an impressive recovery after briefly losing ground to Lewis Hamilton during the first cycle of pit stops. The four-time world champion gained ground with a bold move a lap later before comfortably securing second place.

“I didn’t expect to be on the podium today. But we worked hard for it,” said Verstappen.

“I saw an opportunity. It was my only one. I just went for it. We’re good on the brakes so that helped, but everything was under control.”

THE TITLE RACE IS HEATING UP

Antonelli once again exceeded expectations after starting from seventh due to a three-place grid penalty. Mercedes initially attempted a one-stop strategy before changing plans and the Italian successfully held off the faster Ferrari after a Virtual Safety Car restart to secure third place.

“It was really hard to overtake, so we had to do something with the strategy,” said Antonelli.

“Initially we tried to go to one stop, but then they told me the tire was too close to the limit. With the Virtual Safety Car, both Ferraris were pitting. I knew it was going to be very difficult because I was on the hard, they were on the soft, but luckily we were able to keep them behind us.”

Ferrari’s Hamilton crossed the line in fourth but was demoted to fifth after receiving a five-second post-race penalty for speeding in the pit lane, elevating team-mate Charles Leclerc to fourth.

George Russell had a disastrous opening lap which dropped him from the front of the field to 19th before recovering to finish seventh. While the result kept him third in the drivers’ standings, Antonelli’s podium extended the young Italian’s championship lead over Hamilton to 50 points, leaving Russell 59 points clear of his Mercedes team-mate after another crucial afternoon in the title race.

– The end

Issued by:

Amar Panicker

Published on:

26 Jul 2026 22:20 IST