Lando Norris of McLaren achieved his first Grand Prix victory of 2026 at the Hungarian Grand Prix. He finished ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli. The race featured mid-race incidents and a late retirement for Norris’s teammate, Oscar Piastri.
Norris, who started from pole position, spent the initial part of the race behind Piastri. Piastri had taken the lead at Turn 2 on the opening lap. Despite Norris’s calls to be allowed past, McLaren initially maintained their positions.
Race Developments and Incidents
The internal team battle shifted after the midpoint of the race. Following his second pit stop, Piastri encountered traffic, specifically Carlos Sainz, in the first sector and made contact with a Williams car. This incident, combined with Norris’s pace in clear air before his own second stop, influenced the race outcome. Piastri later retired due to an apparent gearbox problem.
Piastri’s retirement led to a Virtual Safety Car (VSC), which prompted further pit lane activity. Verstappen and Antonelli, who had recently changed tyres, remained on track to secure second and third positions. The Ferrari duo of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, who made three stops, followed them.
Hamilton initially emerged ahead of Antonelli after his final stop but had to cede the position. Replays indicated that he had crossed the relevant VSC white line just behind the Mercedes. A five-second penalty for speeding in the pits further impacted Hamilton’s prospects for a podium finish, with Leclerc moving ahead to fourth place after the penalty was applied.
Isack Hadjar secured sixth place for Red Bull, while George Russell finished seventh. Russell’s race was challenging from the start, as an anti-stall issue caused him to drop to 21st position. Racing Bulls achieved another double points finish with Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad, who placed eighth and 10th respectively, sandwiching Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg.
Aston Martin showed an encouraging performance with their updated cars. Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso finished 13th and 14th, splitting the Alpines of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto, and finishing ahead of both Haas and Williams cars. Piastri watched the final 15 laps from the sidelines after his retirement. The Cadillacs of Valtteri Bottas, due to overheating brakes, and Sergio Perez, because of a front-left issue, also did not finish the race.
Qualifying and Strategy
In a close qualifying session at the Hungaroring circuit, Norris secured pole position by a narrow margin over Hamilton. Leclerc took third, and championship leader Antonelli qualified fourth. However, both Hamilton and Antonelli received three-place grid penalties from the stewards. Hamilton was penalised for impeding Piastri, and Antonelli for not slowing sufficiently under yellow flags.
These penalties meant Norris started from the front, followed by Leclerc, Piastri, and Verstappen. Hamilton dropped to fifth, and Antonelli to seventh. Perez started from the pit lane after making set-up changes. At the start, Norris maintained his lead, while Piastri overtook Leclerc to follow his teammate into the first corner. Verstappen battled with the two Ferraris.
Piastri then took the lead from Norris at Turn 2 with a cut-back move. Hamilton also passed his teammate Leclerc for fourth and appeared to make contact with Verstappen. Russell experienced a difficult start, falling from sixth to 21st due to an anti-stall issue. As the race progressed, Piastri held a lead of just over a second from Norris, with Verstappen, Hamilton, and Leclerc following. Antonelli was in sixth, having gained a position due to Russell’s start.
Verstappen expressed concerns about his car’s damping and shifts over the radio. Hamilton pursued the Red Bull driver but could not find a way past. McLaren also communicated with their drivers, with Norris indicating he was faster than Piastri and struggling in dirty air. Russell climbed back to 11th by Lap 13. Hamilton made the first front-running pit stop on Lap 14, changing to hard tyres and rejoining in ninth. Verstappen responded on Lap 15, also switching to hards and making a bold pass on Hamilton at Turn 1.
Piastri and Leclerc pitted on Lap 17, followed by Norris on the next lap, which allowed Antonelli and Hadjar to lead temporarily. Piastri maintained his advantage over Norris after his pit stop. Antonelli continued for a few more laps, initially suggesting a one-stop strategy, but a stop for hards on Lap 22 indicated a two-stop plan. Piastri regained the lead but faced pressure from Norris. Verstappen fell to third, followed by Hamilton, Leclerc, and Antonelli. Russell pitted for hards on Lap 28.
Bottas was the first retirement of the day, reporting smoke in the cockpit due to overheating brakes. Hamilton made his second stop for hards on Lap 30. Piastri pitted for hards on Lap 33, giving Norris clear air and a potential tyre advantage for the final stint. The next race, the Dutch Grand Prix, is scheduled from 21-23 August.
Source: formula1.com
