Lando Norris won the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday, securing his first victory of the season. The reigning McLaren world champion triumphed at the Hungaroring ahead of Max Verstappen in his Red Bull and Kimi Antonelli in his Mercedes. Starting from pole position, the Briton converted his starting position into a win, claiming his first victory with the number one livery on his car. This success ends a long wait for Norris, who hadn't won since the Brazilian Grand Prix last year. In Hungary, he weathered the various stages of the race, changes in pace, and a more eventful finish than it initially appeared, securing a clear, deserved, and important victory for McLaren before the summer break.
Piastri led the race before losing everything
Oscar Piastri gave McLaren hope for a one-two finish for much of the race. The Australian took the lead on the opening lap after opening up a gap to his teammate at Turn 3. He then led the race until the second round of pit stops, before Norris definitively regained the advantage as they exited the pits. Piastri's race then took a dramatic turn. An initial incident, involving contact with Carlos Sainz, cost him time and may have damaged his car. Then, on lap 56 of 70, the McLaren driver had to stop his car at the side of the track with a gearbox failure. His retirement triggered a virtual safety car and completely reshuffled the deck in the battle for the podium.
Verstappen and Antonelli take advantage of the chaos
The safety car period shook up the order behind Norris. Max Verstappen took advantage to secure second place, while Kimi Antonelli confirmed his excellent performance by finishing third. The Italian secured a valuable podium finish for Mercedes and, more importantly, continued to accumulate significant championship points. Lewis Hamilton, on the other hand, lost considerable ground during this sequence. The Briton had a controversial pit exit in front of Antonelli and was subsequently penalized a position. His troubles didn't end there, as he then received a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane. As a result, Charles Leclerc capitalized, overtaking him for fourth place in the final standings, with a sufficient gap to move ahead after the penalty was applied. Hamilton dropped to fifth.
Hadjar still going strong, Russell saves the day
Behind the top five, Isack Hadjar secured a strong sixth place. The Frenchman scored more points and notched his seventh consecutive top-six finish. This performance remains solid, even if it lacked the brilliance of his impressive comeback in Belgium the previous week. George Russell finished seventh. The Mercedes driver had a poor start, caught out by a problem with the lights going out, which dropped him far back in the pack at the first corner. However, he limited the damage by fighting his way back into the points and finishing close to the main contenders. The Racing Bulls also confirmed their good form. Liam Lawson finished eighth and Arvid Lindblad tenth. Between them, Nico Hülkenberg secured ninth place for Audi, while his teammate Gabriel Bortoleto finished just outside the points.
Antonelli widens the gap in the championship
This Hungarian Grand Prix allowed Kimi Antonelli to strengthen his position in the world championship. Thanks to his third-place finish, the Italian now has 219 points. He has a 50-point lead over Lewis Hamilton and 59 over George Russell. This podium finish is therefore crucial in the title fight, especially on a weekend where several rivals lost important points. The race also confirmed Alpine's difficulties, as they left without scoring a single point. Pierre Gasly finished 12th and Franco Colapinto 15th. Aston Martin fared slightly better, with Lance Stroll 13th ahead of Fernando Alonso in 14th. For the French drivers, Esteban Ocon could do no better than 16th.
Cadillac struggling, McLaren goes on break with a smile
The end of the race was also marked by several retirements. In addition to Oscar Piastri, both Cadillacs left the race before the finish: Valtteri Bottas due to a front left brake fire and Sergio Perez with a suspension failure. The new team is having a difficult weekend and will need the summer break to get back on track. McLaren, despite Piastri's retirement, still leaves Hungary with the essentials. Lando Norris took his first victory of the season, capping off a successful weekend that began from pole position. The Briton is reviving his momentum at the perfect time, just before the summer break, while Antonelli continues to consolidate his championship lead.
