Norris secures Hungarian Grand Prix victory ahead of Verstappen and Antonelli
Norris claims first 2026 Grand Prix win
Lando Norris secured his first Grand Prix victory of 2026 at the Hungarian Grand Prix, finishing ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli. The win for McLaren followed a race marked by mid-event 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 after being overtaken at Turn 2 on the opening lap. Despite Norris’s requests to be allowed through, Piastri maintained the lead.
The internal team dynamic shifted after Piastri’s second pit stop when he encountered traffic, making contact with Carlos Sainz’s Williams. This incident, combined with Norris’s pace in clear air, helped swing the race in Norris’s favor. Piastri’s day concluded with a retirement due to a gearbox issue.
A Virtual Safety Car (VSC) triggered by Piastri’s stoppage led to further pit lane activity. Verstappen and Antonelli, who had recently changed tires, remained on track to secure second and third positions, respectively. They finished ahead of the Ferrari duo of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, who both made three stops.
Hamilton initially emerged from his final stop ahead of Antonelli but lost the position after replays indicated he had crossed the VSC white line just behind the Mercedes. A five-second penalty for speeding in the pits further impacted Hamilton’s podium aspirations, allowing Leclerc to move into fourth place after the penalty was applied.
Race Incidents and Penalties
Prior to the race, both Hamilton and Antonelli received three-place grid penalties from the stewards. Hamilton was penalized for impeding Piastri, while Antonelli was sanctioned for failing to slow sufficiently under yellow flags. These penalties meant Norris started from pole, followed by Leclerc, Piastri, and Verstappen, with Hamilton dropping to fifth and Antonelli to seventh.
At the start, Norris maintained his lead from pole. Piastri overtook Leclerc to follow Norris into the first corner. Piastri then moved into the lead at Turn 2 with a cut-back maneuver. Hamilton also passed his teammate Leclerc for fourth, making contact with Verstappen in third.
George Russell experienced a difficult start, falling from sixth to 21st due to an anti-stall issue. He later climbed back to seventh by the end of the race. Isack Hadjar secured sixth place for Red Bull.
Piastri expressed frustration with Sainz following their collision, stating he was “incredibly annoyed” and that the lack of awareness from Sainz was unacceptable. Sainz, however, claimed he had no idea Piastri was attempting to lap him and that the contact was unavoidable.
During the race, Norris communicated to McLaren that he was significantly faster than Piastri and requested to be allowed past. Piastri, after his second stop, also noted that he did not have the pace he needed. Piastri’s retirement in the final 15 laps meant he watched the conclusion from the sidelines. Other retirements included Valtteri Bottas due to overheating brakes and Sergio Perez with a front-left issue.
Team Performances and Driver Reflections
Norris described his victory as one of his best performances, attributing it to hard work from himself and his engineers in understanding the car. He noted his improved confidence and ability to extract performance this season. Team principal Andrea Stella highlighted Norris’s increased confidence and emotional control, particularly when behind Piastri, which allowed him to utilize his pace effectively.
This win followed a significant upgrade to the McLaren car, with another planned for the next race, the Dutch Grand Prix. Norris cautioned against high expectations for a championship charge, emphasizing the importance of focusing on the present and continuous team effort.
Ferrari’s team boss, Frederic Vasseur, acknowledged that the team made “too many mistakes” during the race, despite appearing to have the fastest car in Hungary. He cited the penalty for Hamilton and lost positions during pit stops as contributing factors to their performance, with the Ferraris ultimately finishing fourth and fifth.
Hamilton, who is currently second in the championship, commented that such errors are detrimental to title aspirations. Racing Bulls achieved a double points finish with Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad placing eighth and 10th. Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg finished ninth, while his teammate Gabriel Bortoleto just missed out on points in 11th. Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso finished 13th and 14th with their updated cars.
Source: formula1.com
