Hungarian Grand Prix: Lando Norris takes first victory of the season; Oscar Piastri retires from 2nd
Lando Norris and McLaren secured their first victory of the 2026 Formula 1 season at the Hungarian Grand Prix, marking a significant return to winning ways for the team. The win at the Hungaroring saw McLaren join Mercedes and Ferrari as race winners this season, with Mercedes having eight victories and Ferrari two prior to this event.
Norris, driving the upgraded MCL40, demonstrated strong form throughout the weekend. He achieved pole position after a notable lap in Q3 and converted it into a victory, despite an early challenge from teammate Oscar Piastri on the opening lap.
McLaren’s Performance and Piastri’s Retirement
The race could have resulted in an even stronger finish for the Woking-based team, but Piastri, who initially took the lead from Norris, encountered issues. Piastri clashed with Williams driver Carlos Sainz and later retired from the race due to an apparent gearbox problem. His retirement occurred while he was in second place, which Max Verstappen capitalized on to secure his own second-place finish.
Reflecting on his performance, Norris stated that his pace during the race was among the best he had ever achieved, praising the car’s driveability and his confidence. He also acknowledged the team’s efforts in developing the car, expressing pride in their ability to return to winning races. Norris admitted that there was some luck involved with his teammate’s misfortune, but emphasized his own pace and confidence as key factors in his victory.
Piastri described taking the lead at the start as the highlight of his race, but noted that things went “pretty downhill from there.” He acknowledged Norris’s pace advantage and described his own pace on hard tyres as “nowhere.” The incident with Sainz, a backmarker, was also a point of frustration for Piastri, who called it “one of the dumbest things I’ve ever seen on a racetrack.”
Verstappen and Antonelli Extend Leads
Despite initial struggles in qualifying, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen secured a second-place finish. He described his car as “completely broken” during qualifying due to balance issues, starting from P6 on the grid before being promoted to the second row following penalties to Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli. Verstappen quickly moved into third place on the opening lap, showcasing defensive driving against the two Ferraris.
Verstappen briefly lost a position to Hamilton during the first round of pit stops but regained it with a strategic move that also saw him pass Liam Lawson. He managed the remaining laps on increasingly worn soft tyres, securing a podium finish that exceeded expectations given his earlier complaints about downshifts and Red Bull’s strategy. His teammate, Isack Hadjar, also contributed by bunching up the pack, which benefited Verstappen. Hadjar achieved a second consecutive P6 finish.
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli extended his championship lead by securing a third-place finish. Despite receiving a penalty for a yellow flag infringement that dropped him to P7 on the grid, Antonelli’s strategy allowed him to make gains throughout the race. This result further solidified his position at the top of the Drivers’ standings heading into the summer break.
His teammate, George Russell, experienced a more challenging race, falling towards the back of the field due to an anti-stall issue at the start. Russell managed to recover to P7, but expressed disappointment, stating he was “past the point of disappointment now” and that the result was “s***.” He mentioned that the engine began revving erratically before the start, affecting his throttle response.
Mixed Fortunes for Ferrari and Midfield Battles
Ferrari had a mixed weekend, starting strong with top times in Friday practice but seeing their form decline. Hamilton, after looking competitive for pole, ended up P2 in qualifying, which became P5 after a three-place grid penalty. Charles Leclerc was promoted to second but had a difficult start on Sunday. Both Ferrari cars opted for a three-stop strategy. Hamilton received a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane, dropping him to fifth, while Leclerc finished fourth. This outcome was a disappointment for Ferrari, especially after their promising start to the weekend.
In the midfield, Racing Bulls gained an advantage over Alpine in the battle for the ‘best of the rest’ position in the Teams’ Championship. Both teams were level on 61 points entering the weekend. Racing Bulls, with recent upgrades, saw Liam Lawson secure P8 and Arvid Lindblad achieve his sixth consecutive top-10 finish. Alpine, in contrast, failed to score points. Lawson engaged in a close contest with Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg, who was seeking his first points of the season and ultimately finished ninth.
Aston Martin also had a positive weekend by their 2026 standards, with Lance Stroll finishing ahead of Fernando Alonso despite starting behind him. Meanwhile, Cadillac faced significant reliability issues, with both Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez retiring from the race due to brake and an unspecified internal issue, respectively. Bottas’s car caught fire, despite new brake ducts being introduced to address such problems.
In support races, Noel Leon won the F2 Feature Race for Campos Racing, aided by a Virtual Safety Car deployment. His teammate, Nikola Tsolov, maintains the championship lead. In F3, Freddie Slater won the Feature Race for TRIDENT, beating Ugo Ugochukwu and taking an eight-point lead in the standings. Both F2 and F3 are scheduled to return with more racing in Monza, while F1 Academy will be in action in Zandvoort.
Source: formula1.com
