Hungaroring sees Norris victory as Verstappen and Antonelli complete podium
Norris secures first 2026 victory
Lando Norris secured his and McLaren’s 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 at the Hungaroring circuit featured mid-race drama 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. Piastri maintained the lead, despite Norris’s requests to be allowed through. The internal team battle shifted after Piastri’s second pit stop when he made contact with Carlos Sainz of Williams, who was encountering traffic.
This incident, combined with Norris’s pace in clear conditions, influenced the race outcome. Piastri’s day concluded with an apparent gearbox problem, leading to his retirement. A Virtual Safety Car (VSC) was deployed due to Piastri’s stoppage, prompting further pit lane activity.
Podium battle and penalties
Following the VSC, Verstappen and Antonelli, who had recently changed tyres, remained on track to secure second and third positions, respectively. They finished ahead of the three-stopping Ferrari duo of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. Hamilton initially emerged from his final stop ahead of Antonelli but had to cede the position after replays showed he had crossed the VSC white line behind the Mercedes.
Hamilton also received a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane, which impacted his chances of a podium finish. Despite pressing Antonelli to the flag, Leclerc moved ahead for P4 once the penalty was applied. Isack Hadjar secured sixth place for Red Bull, while George Russell finished seventh after a difficult start that saw him drop to 19th due to anti-stall activation.
Racing Bulls achieved a double points finish with Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad placing eighth and 10th, sandwiching Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg. Hulkenberg’s teammate, Gabriel Bortoleto, finished 11th, just outside the points. Aston Martin drivers Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso, with their updated cars, finished 13th and 14th, respectively, splitting the Alpines of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto.
Qualifying and race incidents
Norris secured pole position in a close qualifying session, just 0.012 seconds ahead of Hamilton, with Leclerc in third and Antonelli in fourth. However, both Hamilton and Antonelli received three-place grid penalties from the stewards. Hamilton was penalised for failing to slow sufficiently under yellow flags, and Antonelli for impeding Piastri.
These penalties meant Norris started from pole, followed by Leclerc, Piastri, and Verstappen. Hamilton was demoted to fifth, and Antonelli to seventh. Sergio Perez started from the pit lane after making set-up changes. At the start, Norris maintained his lead, while Piastri overtook Leclerc to follow Norris into the first corner.
Piastri then took the lead from Norris at Turn 2 with a cut-back move. Hamilton also passed Leclerc for fourth and had contact with Verstappen. Russell experienced a poor start, falling from seventh to 19th. As the race progressed, Piastri held a lead over Norris, followed by Verstappen, Hamilton, and Leclerc, with Antonelli in sixth.
During the race, Hamilton made an early pit stop for hard tyres on Lap 14, rejoining in ninth. Verstappen responded on Lap 15, also switching to hards, and then overtook Hamilton at Turn 1. Piastri and Leclerc pitted on Lap 17, followed by Norris, which allowed Antonelli and Hadjar to lead temporarily before their own stops.
Piastri later retired on Lap 56 due to a gearbox failure, triggering the VSC. This led to a late round of pit stops, with Ferrari bringing in both drivers. Hamilton briefly passed Antonelli into the first corner after the Italian stayed out under the VSC, but had to yield the position after the restart. Verstappen maintained his lead over Antonelli, finishing 3.6 seconds ahead.
The next race, the Dutch Grand Prix, is scheduled for August 21-23 after a four-week summer break.
Source: bbc.com