Lando Norris secured his first victory of the 2026 Formula 1 season at the Hungarian Grand Prix, marking a significant win for McLaren. The reigning world champion’s triumph came after an early contest with his team-mate Oscar Piastri, who ultimately retired from the race due to a gearbox issue.
Norris, who started on pole position, initially lost the lead to Piastri in a competitive opening lap. Despite Piastri taking an early advantage, Norris demonstrated stronger pace, eventually reclaiming the lead after the second round of pit stops. The turning point occurred when Piastri made contact with Williams’ Carlos Sainz while being lapped, an incident for which Sainz received a five-second penalty. Piastri’s race concluded prematurely on lap 56 with a gearbox failure, leading to a late Virtual Safety Car (VSC) with 14 laps remaining.
Norris’ strategic win and team dynamics
McLaren’s recent upgrade package for the Hungarian race contributed to their strong performance, with Norris showing impressive form throughout the weekend. Piastri’s excellent start allowed him to capitalise on Norris running wide at Turn Two, taking the lead on a circuit known for its challenging overtaking opportunities. Norris, despite having superior pace, found it difficult to pass his team-mate and expressed frustration over the radio, inquiring about pitting first before the second round of stops.
McLaren opted to pit Piastri just before the halfway point of the 70-lap race, while Norris remained on track. Despite having older tyres, Norris managed to slightly outpace Piastri, who was then hindered by lapped traffic, including the minor contact with Sainz. Norris pitted on Lap 40, emerging ahead of Piastri, and subsequently dominated the remainder of the race. Piastri was on course for a second-place finish before his gearbox failed.
Norris reflected on his performance, stating that his pace was among the best he had ever experienced, describing the car as “beautiful to drive” and expressing confidence. He also noted his satisfaction with extending his stints on old tyres, which ultimately helped him secure the win.
Verstappen’s strong finish and Hamilton’s penalty
Max Verstappen secured second place after a strong final stint. Despite initial complaints about his car, Red Bull’s strategy to fit soft tyres during his second pit stop proved effective. This move was aimed at challenging Lewis Hamilton in the later stages of the race, particularly after Hamilton’s early second stop with 40 laps remaining.
Kimi Antonelli finished third, extending his championship lead to 50 points over Hamilton and 59 points over his Mercedes team-mate George Russell. Russell, who stalled at the start, fought back to finish seventh. Hamilton, driving for Ferrari, finished the race in fourth but was demoted to fifth due to a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane. This placed him behind his team-mate Charles Leclerc, who finished fourth.
Hamilton’s penalty was one of several recent incidents, following a penalty for blocking Piastri in qualifying and two others in previous races in Belgium and Britain. Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar finished sixth, ahead of Russell. The Racing Bulls duo of Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad engaged in a race-long battle with Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg, with Lawson ultimately finishing ahead of Hulkenberg and Lindblad in the points-paying positions.
Aston Martin experienced a positive weekend with their new car, despite not scoring points. Lance Stroll finished 13th, ahead of team-mate Fernando Alonso. Alonso, in particular, was able to compete with other cars for the first time, employing a bold strategy of a long first stint on soft tyres before switching to mediums. The team’s car upgrade, which excluded the front suspension, engine, and gearbox, reportedly reduced their lap times by approximately two seconds. An engine upgrade from Honda is anticipated for the Dutch Grand Prix.
Looking ahead to the Dutch Grand Prix
The Formula 1 season will now observe a four-week summer break. Racing will resume with a Sprint weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix, scheduled from August 21-23. This event will also mark F1’s final visit to Zandvoort, as the circuit’s contract concludes this year.
The top 10 finishers at the Hungarian Grand Prix were:
- Lando Norris (McLaren)
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
- Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
- Isack Hadjar (Red Bull)
- George Russell (Mercedes)
- Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
- Nico Hulkenberg (Audi)
- Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls)
The Dutch Grand Prix will take place from August 21-23.
Source: skysports.com