Lando Norris won the Hungarian Grand Prix after Oscar Piastri retired with a mechanical issue. Max Verstappen finished second and Kimi Antonelli extended his championship lead.
Lando Norris ended his long wait for a Formula 1 victory by winning the Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring on Sunday, taking advantage of teammate Oscar Piastri’s late retirement to claim McLaren’s first race win of the season.
Starting from pole position, Norris controlled much of the race and eventually finished ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, while Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli completed the podium and increased his championship lead.
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The victory was Norris’ 12th Formula 1 win and his first full Grand Prix victory since Sao Paulo in November. Reflecting on his performance, Norris said, “My pace today was probably some of the best pace I’ve ever had,” adding that the car felt “beautiful to drive”.
Piastri’s victory hopes end with mechanical failure
McLaren appeared set for a dominant one-two finish after Oscar Piastri took the lead from Norris early in the race.
Piastri moved ahead after Norris ran wide at the second corner, but the race changed during the second pit-stop phase. Piastri lost time while passing slower traffic and made contact with Carlos Sainz’s Williams, allowing Norris to regain the advantage after a later pit stop.
Norris then managed the race from the front, but Piastri’s challenge ended with 14 laps remaining when a suspected gearbox problem forced him to stop on track.
The retirement triggered a Virtual Safety Car period, changing the strategy battle for the remaining podium positions.
Verstappen recovers for second place
Max Verstappen recovered from a difficult race to finish second. The Red Bull driver briefly lost position to Lewis Hamilton during the opening pit-stop cycle but regained the place with an aggressive overtake.
“I didn’t expect to be on the podium today. But we worked hard for it,” Verstappen said after the race.
The result gave Verstappen another strong finish despite Red Bull struggling for pace compared with McLaren.
Antonelli extends championship advantage
Kimi Antonelli continued his impressive debut season by finishing third after starting seventh due to a grid penalty.
Mercedes initially attempted a one-stop strategy before changing plans, but Antonelli held off Ferrari drivers after the Virtual Safety Car restart despite being on harder tyres against rivals on softer compounds.
The podium finish was Antonelli’s ninth in 11 races and extended his championship lead over Lewis Hamilton to 50 points.
Hamilton finished fifth after receiving a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane, allowing Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc to move into fourth place.
The Hungarian Grand Prix result further changed the dynamics of the 2026 Formula 1 title race.
Antonelli strengthened his position at the top of the standings, while George Russell dropped further behind after a difficult race. Russell fell to the back of the field after a poor start but recovered to finish seventh.
The Formula 1 season will now enter its mid-season break, with the next race scheduled at the Dutch Grand Prix on August 23.
Published: 26 Jul 2026, 10:46 pm IST
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