Lando Norris achieved his first victory as the defending Formula 1 world champion with a solid drive at the Hungarian Grand Prix beating his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri – who suffered a retirement – and finishing ahead of Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli.
Piastri passed polesitter Norris at the start with a cutback at Turn 2 and controlled the first half of the Hungarian Grand Prix, with Norris appearing quicker but unable to find a way past on the twisty Hungaroring track.
Verstappen moved to third position ahead of Ferrari duo Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, as the latter was sandwiched by his two rivals. Meanwhile, George Russell suffered an awful start as anti-stall kicked in on his Mercedes, dropping him as low as P19.
Both Ferraris started on softs, as opposed to mediums for the other frontrunners, but as they were stuck behind Verstappen, Hamilton and Leclerc were unable to put their faster tyres to good use.
On lap 14, Hamilton came in with an early stop for hards. Verstappen responded on the following lap, but while he was unable to avoid the undercut from Hamilton, Verstappen did a dive bomb down the inside of Turn 1 to regain his position.
The end result of the first pit sequence was that the top five held station, with the exception of Antonelli going long to try and pull off a one-stop strategy. However, the Mercedes driver was losing too much lap time to pull it off, having to come in on lap 23 for hards. Which was too early to make it to the end of the 70-lap race. Russell had meanwhile recovered back to seventh.
After the first round of pitstops, Norris was right on Piastri, though the world champion did lose grip through Turn 4 on lap 29, running off which handed Oscar a temporary break.
Lando’s off-track moment prompted a cautionary message from his race engineer to settle down as the team suspected the defending champion was trying to show off how much quicker he was than his leading teammate. But with little pressure from Verstappen behind and Piastri having taken the lead fair and square at the start, McLaren did not seem particularly motivated to issue any kind of team orders like the Papaya Rules.
An impatient Norris asked his team to pit him first and gain an undercut, which the team refused, but it did bring in Piastri for a second stop on lap 34. That put Piastri into lapped traffic as he was caught up in a battle between Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso in the first sector, with Sainz staying on the racing line and making contact into Piastri.
“Get out of the f***ing way, you idiot, oh my god”, a furious Piastri raged as he escaped damage, but lost enough time to be overcut once Lando came in for his own pitstop. Seeing Norris emerge from the pitlane ahead, Piastri also redirected his frustration at his own team, sarcastically thanking them for putting him in that position in the first place. Sainz received a five-second time penalty for ignoring the blue flags.
Norris then passed championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who was trying to nurse an ambitious one-stop strategy. Piastri was unable to follow Norris for a 1-2, though, as he dramatically retired from the race with a gearbox failure on lap 56.
The virtual safety car delivered an exciting end to the race with the battle for the remaining podium places behind Norris.
With Antonelli having already on his one-stopper, Hamilton had moved to second but also came in for fresh tyres, while Verstappen stayed out to gain track position. Hamilton also lost third to Antonelli on pit exit, with Leclerc fifth after his own third pitstop.
At the front, Norris comfortably controlled his lead to take both his and McLaren’s first Grand Prix win of the 2026 season, though one that will prompt a lengthy debrief at the outfit.
Verstappen was able to take an unexpected second position after struggling all weekend with the behaviour of his RB22. The entertaining duel for third between Antonelli and a chasing Hamilton was halted by a five-second penalty for Lewis for speeding in the pitlane, which dropped him to fifth behind Leclerc in the final result.
Isack Hadjar was sixth for Red Bull, with Russell able to take seventh from his poor start, despite unable to avoid losing further points in the championship.
Liam Lawson and Racing Bulls won the midfield battle in eighth, followed by Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg and Arvid Lindblad, the end result of a four-car battle between the two teams.
Lance Stroll took an encouraging P12 for Aston Martin in its upgraded car, behind Gabriel Bortoleto’s Audi, while both Cadillacs of Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas joined Piastri in retirement as their brakes caught fire.
Formula 1 now heads into its summer break, with Antonelli heading with an 50-point lead on Hamilton and a 59-point advantage over Russell. The racing action will resumes on August 23rd with the final edition of the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort.
So congratulations to Lando Norris. A strong weekend as the defending champion with pole position and race victory. The upgraded McLaren has definitely improved the performance.
Hungarian Grand Prix, race results:
1 Lando Norris McLaren-Mercedes 1:39:56.180
2 Max Verstappen Red Bull-Ford +15.080s
3 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +18.728s
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +23.840s
5 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +24.540s
6 Isack Hadjar Red Bull-Ford +55.488s
7 George Russell Mercedes +57.503s
8 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls-Ford +1 lap
9 Nico Hulkenberg Audi +1 lap
10 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls-Ford +1 lap
11 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi +1 lap
12 Pierre Gasly Alpine-Mercedes +1 lap
13 Lance Stroll Aston Martin-Honda +1 lap
14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin-Honda +1 lap
15 Franco Colapinto Alpine-Mercedes +2 laps
16 Esteban Ocon Haas-Ferrari +2 laps
17 Alexander Albon Williams-Mercedes +2 laps
18 Carlos Sainz Williams-Mercedes +2 laps
19 Oliver Bearman Haas-Ferrari +2 laps
Oscar Piastri McLaren-Mercedes DNF
Sergio Perez Cadillac-Ferrari DNF
Valtteri Bottas Cadillac-Ferrari DNF
Lando Norris claimed his and McLaren’s first Grand Prix victory of 2026 in Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix, taking the chequered flag ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli – after mid-race drama and a late retirement for team mate Oscar Piastri.
Polesitter Norris spent the first half of the race in Piastri’s mirrors, having been jumped at Turn 2 on the opening lap – the latter doing just enough to hold onto the lead thereafter, and McLaren resisting Norris’ calls to be ushered through.
However, the intra-team battle was flipped on its head just after the midway point when Piastri – fresh from his second pit stop – encountered traffic in the form of Carlos Sainz in the first sector, and dramatically made contact with the Williams.
That moment, added to Norris’ sublime pace in clear air ahead of his own second stop, swung the race in the reigning World Champion’s favour, before Piastri’s day ended in despair thanks to an apparent gearbox problem.
A Virtual Safety Car (VSC) triggered by Piastri’s stoppage led to more pit lane action, with Verstappen and Antonelli (who had just swapped tyres) staying out to take second and third respectively, ahead of three-stopping Ferrari pair Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
Hamilton had initially emerged from that final stop ahead of Antonelli, only to cede the position after replays showed he had reached the relevant VSC white line at the end of the start/finish straight just behind the Mercedes.
A five-second penalty for speeding in the pits ended any hopes Hamilton had of finishing on the podium, even if he pressed on and harried Antonelli to the flag, with Leclerc also edging ahead for P4 once the sanction was applied.
Isack Hadjar took sixth place in the other Red Bull machine, with George Russell winding up P7 after a dreadful start to the race – due to the anti-stall kicking in – saw him drop as low as 19th.
Racing Bulls scored another double points finish with Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad, who placed eighth and 10th, around Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg, while the German’s team mate, Gabriel Bortoleto, just missed out on a reward in 11th.
In their most encouraging display of the season so far, Aston Martin pair Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso took their updated cars to P13 and P14, splitting the Alpines of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto, and beating both Haas and Williams cars.
Piastri was left to watch the final 15 laps from the sidelines following his retirement, with the Cadillacs of Valtteri Bottas (overheating brakes) and Sergio Perez (an issue at the front-left) also failing to finish.
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/norris-beats-verstappen-and-antonelli-to-victory-in-dramatic-hungarian-gp.5JQmohRAKABD2asRsMWogj
Lando Norris believes that he delivered “some of the best pace I’ve ever had” on his way to victory in the Hungarian Grand Prix, with the Briton confidently beating Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli to the top step.
The reigning World Champion started from pole position, but it certainly wasn’t a straightforward journey to the chequered flag as his team mate Oscar Piastri initially snatched the race lead on the opening lap.
Norris went wide at Turn 2 and lost the place before growing increasingly frustrated about being stuck behind the Australian, with McLaren eventually giving him the chance to race in clean air when they called Piastri into the pits for his second stop.
He immediately executed much faster laps and held the advantage over Piastri once he had boxed again, paving the way for a controlled drive to his first Grand Prix win of the season, especially as the second McLaren retired with a suspected gearbox issue.
Reflecting on the opening lap, Norris said: “I don’t know what happened, to be honest. I just kept losing the rear. I had like three or four big snaps. It felt horrible and of course Oscar did a good job to get the cutback and get back past, so I think I was just a bit wide in the dirt – game over for the first lap.
“But man, I was pushing like hell to try and force him into a mistake or something. My pace today was probably some of the best pace I’ve ever had. The car was beautiful to drive and I felt very confident, so a great race.
“To get it back in terms of going long, which is certainly not what I was expecting, but the pace was so good I could always extend the stints, and fresh tyres then always won me the race. I’m just happy to be back and see the number one again.”
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/the-car-was-beautiful-to-drive-norris-delighted-by-some-of-the-best-pace-ive-ever-had-in-hungary-win.QnY6fxZnQt7VKoeN1B22W
Hungarian GP stewards explained why they were more lenient with Carlos Sainz, issuing only a five-second penalty for his collision with Oscar Piastri.
Piastri, who was leading the Formula 1 race in Budapest during the opening phase, was nearly taken out by Sainz on lap 38 while the Spaniard was being lapped by the McLaren driver. Despite the incident, the Williams man received only a five-second penalty, with the stewards stating there was a mitigating factor.
On top of the problems with the blue flag system, which meant drivers did not receive clear signals during the race, the stewards stated that Piastri “was not visible” to Sainz in the mirrors immediately before the contact, as the Australian attempted to pass the Williams into Turn 3.
Taking that mitigating factor into account, the stewards decided not to impose the standard 10-second penalty for causing a collision, instead handing Sainz a five-second penalty.
Piastri was able to continue without damage despite the contact, but the incident ultimately contributed to him losing the lead to Lando Norris.
“On Lap 38, at the approach to Turn 3, Car 55 [Sainz] was engaged in a battle with Car 14 [Fernando Alonso],” the statement said. “The driver of Car 55 had been informed by the team that blue flags were being shown due to the approach of Car 81 [Piastri]. As Car 81 attempted to overtake, contact occurred between Cars 55 and 81.
“The Stewards determined that the driver of Car 55 was wholly responsible for the collision with Car 81. While the standard penalty for causing a collision is a 10-second time penalty, the Stewards identified a mitigating factor.
“At the point of the incident, the positioning of Car 55 relative to the circuit and the other cars meant that Car 81 was not visible to the driver of Car 55 prior to the attempted overtake. Although the driver had been informed that Car 81 was approaching, the Stewards accepted that the limited visibility reduced the degree of culpability.
“Taking this mitigating circumstance into account, the Stewards determined that a five-second time penalty, rather than the standard 10-second penalty, was appropriate.”
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/why-sainz-only-got-a-five-second-penalty-for-clash-with-piastri/10842124/
Max Verstappen expressed his surprise and satisfaction after coming away from the Hungarian Grand Prix with a P2 finish, having struggled in Qualifying and described his race as one of “survival”.
Verstappen and Red Bull had no answer to the pace of the McLarens, Ferraris and Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes in Saturday’s grid-deciding session, provisionally leaving him sixth on the grid and with a long Sunday afternoon ahead.
However, the Dutchman gained two spots before the race started when Lewis Hamilton and Antonelli were penalised for separate rule breaches, and then jumped to third on the opening lap – ahead of Charles Leclerc.
Verstappen expertly defended from the Ferraris across the opening stint, despite complaining of various issues with his car, and after falling behind Hamilton at the first round of stops, he immediately fought back with a late move under braking at Turn 1.
From there, Verstappen kept himself firmly in the mix for a podium finish, gaining further ground when Oscar Piastri retired amid gearbox trouble and Hamilton pitted under the subsequent Virtual Safety Car period, and then nursing his ageing soft tyres to the end.
Asked if a podium, and second place, was beyond what he and Red Bull were expecting after Qualifying, Verstappen said: “Yeah, for sure. I didn’t expect to be on the podium today, but we worked hard for it.
“I think the start was decent to get through at Turn 1 and 2, then after the first stop to get back ahead of Lewis under braking into Turn 1.
“Then it was just trying to survive on the [tyre] compounds, trying to make the right calls with strategy as well. I’m very happy to be second here, considering [everything].”
Verstappen also shared some more thoughts around his decisive overtake on Hamilton early in the race, when both drivers were bedding in sets of hard tyres.
“I saw the opportunity as my only one and I just went for it,” he explained. “We’re good on the brakes, so that helped! It was all under control.”
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/verstappen-buoyed-by-p2-finish-in-race-of-survival-as-he-relives-bold-pass-on-hamilton.1Dtn3XoQa5xGYfg4uwt5sT
McLaren driver Oscar Piastri was hugely frustrated by being hit by a lapped Carlos Sainz in F1’s Hungarian GP, but saw no bones in McLaren’s pit strategy.
Piastri pitted from the lead for his second stop and was put into lapped traffic, behind Williams man Sainz and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso scrapping over a distant position.
McLaren driver Oscar Piastri was hugely frustrated by being hit by a lapped Carlos Sainz in F1’s Hungarian GP, but saw no bones in McLaren’s pit strategy.
Piastri pitted from the lead for his second stop and was put into lapped traffic, behind Williams man Sainz and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso scrapping over a distant position.
As Sainz cut back to the racing line in Turn 2, he veered into Piastri’s McLaren, unaware of the Australian’s position on track. Piastri avoided damage but still lost a significant chunk of time, which ended up costing him the lead to team-mate Lando Norris.
While there had been intermittent GPS issues that interfered with the blue flags signals being displayed on the steering wheel, Sainz and Alonso were still shown blue flags by the marshal-operated light panels.
Piastri tore into Sainz after the race, deeming it “unacceptable” for the Spaniard not to be observing the blue flag regardless of the system glitch.
“Yeah, I knew there were blue flag [issues], but there were blue flags on all the marshal signals,” Piastri said.
“I was right behind him. I couldn’t believe what happened. Getting crashed into by a lapped car is never one of the things you expect that can go wrong in your race. I don’t really care if he didn’t see me. The fact that he didn’t and no one told him or there was a lack of complete awareness is unacceptable.
“He was fighting Fernando for last place like it was the world championship. It cost me the lead of the race. He’s quite critical of others. Others have given him some stick before for being frustrating on track. When you go and do something like that, I think maybe you should look in the mirror a bit.”
On top of not getting blue flags on his dash, Sainz explained Piastri was in his blind spot, so he wasn’t expecting the McLaren to be where it was.
“We didn’t have blue lights on the steering which normally when we are in fights like that one where we are fighting for position, it helps us to understand whether we’re getting lapped or not,” he explained.
“At this stage, I had no idea I was about to get lapped and on top of that I was in a big fight with Fernando trying to undercut him into the corner and I wouldn’t have expected Oscar to be there.
“Even I had expected [him], he was in my dead angle, so it was impossible, honestly, from my side to avoid it. Probably a bit better communication would have helped but at the same time a racing thing that sometimes happens.”
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/oscar-piastri-tears-into-unacceptable-carlos-sainz-incident-accepts-mclaren-strategy/10842146/
Kimi Antonelli felt that he maximised his opportunities in the “tough” Hungarian Grand Prix to claim the final spot on the podium, allowing him to increase his lead in the Drivers’ Championship.
In a wholly challenging weekend for Mercedes, the Italian wasn’t able to seriously challenge McLaren and Ferrari for pole position and finished P4 in Qualifying, but was demoted to P7 after the stewards handed him a grid drop for a yellow flag infringement.
While it was a stark change from the front-row starts he had come to enjoy, Antonelli risked a different strategy and gained positions as his rivals pitted. He couldn’t match the pace of McLaren and eventually had to complete a second stop after his team decided his tyres wouldn’t last until the end.
He then came back into podium contention when other teams risked a stop under Virtual Safety Car conditions, allowing him to improve to P3 and cling on ahead of Lewis Hamilton, whose challenge was neutralised by a time penalty for speeding in the pit lane.
“It was a tough race,” Antonelli explained. “It was really hard to overtake, so we had to do something with strategy. Initially we tried to go for the one-stop, but then [the team] told me that the tyre was too much on the limit, so we stopped.
“Then we had a Virtual Safety Car and the two Ferraris boxed. I knew it would have been very hard because I was on hards, they were on softs. Luckily we managed to keep them behind.”
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/antonelli-pleased-to-extend-standings-lead-after-tough-race-in-hungary.5LwUUWOKnbqMrxONe28Uou