Lando Norris claimed his first Formula 1 victory of the season at the Hungarian Grand Prix, leading McLaren to its first race win of the year after a dramatic afternoon that featured team strategy decisions, a late retirement for Oscar Piastri and a tense battle for the remaining podium places.
The reigning world champion crossed the finish line comfortably ahead of the field after taking control in the closing stages, while Max Verstappen held off Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli to secure second place. Antonelli completed the podium, extending his championship advantage to 50 points over Lewis Hamilton and 59 over Mercedes team-mate George Russell.
Hamilton initially finished fourth but was handed a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane, dropping him behind Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc into fifth place.
McLaren looked set for a one-two finish for much of the race after Piastri overtook Norris on the opening lap. Norris had started from pole position and defended the lead into the opening corners, but a mistake at Turn Two allowed the Australian to move ahead and take control.
The British driver remained close behind throughout the opening stint and later requested to pit before his team-mate, but McLaren chose to stop Piastri first to protect against Hamilton’s strategy. Norris stayed on track for several extra laps, using fresher pace to build an advantage before making his own stop.
The race swung further in Norris’ favour when Piastri lost time while lapping Carlos Sainz. The Williams driver collided with the McLaren and later received a five-second penalty for the incident. Although Piastri expressed frustration over team radio, he later clarified his anger was directed at Sainz rather than McLaren’s strategy, believing he would have remained ahead without the contact.
Any chance of a fight for victory disappeared on lap 56 when Piastri suffered a gearbox failure and retired from second place, triggering a Virtual Safety Car that reshaped the battle behind Norris.
Red Bull’s strategy proved decisive for Verstappen. After complaining about his car throughout the race, the Dutchman received soft tyres at his second pit stop, allowing him to attack during the closing stages. Ferrari responded by pitting both Hamilton and Leclerc under the Virtual Safety Car, but Verstappen retained track position.
Hamilton briefly overtook Antonelli after the restart, only to hand the position back because the Mercedes driver had already crossed the timing line before racing resumed. Antonelli and Hamilton then closed on Verstappen but lost valuable time while lapping Gabriel Bortoleto’s Audi, allowing the Red Bull driver to secure second place by 3.6 seconds.
An earlier move also proved crucial, with Verstappen reclaiming position from Hamilton following the opening round of pit stops, giving him clean air to establish himself behind the McLarens before Red Bull’s late tyre gamble.
Hamilton’s penalty added to a frustrating weekend after he had already been sanctioned in qualifying for impeding Piastri. It also marked his third consecutive race weekend with a penalty following previous incidents in Belgium and Britain.
Isack Hadjar finished sixth for Red Bull, while Russell recovered impressively to seventh after an anti-stall issue at the start dropped him to 21st on the opening lap.
Aston Martin remained outside the points, with Lance Stroll finishing 13th ahead of Fernando Alonso. However, the team left Hungary encouraged after introducing a major upgrade package. Alonso’s alternative tyre strategy allowed him to race more competitively, and the revised car is estimated to have improved lap times by around two seconds.
The Silverstone-based team expects a further step forward at the Dutch Grand Prix after the summer break, when a Honda engine upgrade is scheduled to arrive, potentially bringing regular points finishes within reach.