Lando Norris concluded the initial phase of the Formula 1 season with a victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix, a performance he described as one of his best. This win marked McLaren’s first pole position of 2026, achieved with a significantly upgraded car at the Hungaroring.
Despite a challenging start to the season for the reigning world champion and his team, Norris capitalised on the improved car performance. While Ferrari, who were considered pre-race favourites, encountered difficulties and made numerous errors, Norris and McLaren delivered an almost flawless performance.
Norris’s Path to Victory
Norris converted his pole position into an early lead at the first corner. However, a misjudgment of grip at Turn Two caused him to slide wide, momentarily ceding his position to teammate Oscar Piastri. This error initially seemed potentially critical for his victory aspirations on a circuit where overtaking between equally matched cars is notoriously difficult.
Despite this, Norris remained composed, confident in his ability to maintain pace with Piastri even in dirty air. He expressed belief that he could still secure the win, citing his superior pace and tyre degradation management. He communicated over the radio that he was faster than Piastri, though he did not explicitly request to be let through. He later asked to pit first, but this was denied due to team protocol, which dictates that the leading driver has the first option for pit stops.
The turning point came during the second round of pit stops on the high tyre wear circuit. McLaren pitted Piastri on Lap 33 to counter Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari, which had stopped for fresh tyres. This allowed Norris to run in clear air and set a rapid pace. He then pitted on Lap 39, giving him a significant tyre life advantage over Piastri.
On the same Lap 39, Piastri encountered Carlos Sainz’s Williams while attempting to lap him. Sainz, who was battling Fernando Alonso, swung back to the racing line after running wide in Turn Two, leading to a collision with Piastri. Sainz stated he had not seen Piastri, and his team had informed him of Piastri’s presence, but his position on the outside of the turn limited his mirror visibility. This incident resulted in a five-second penalty for Sainz and caused Piastri to lose crucial time.
Norris emerged from his pit stop in the lead, a position he maintained throughout the remainder of the race. He steadily increased his advantage, even making a third stop under a Virtual Safety Car on Lap 56 for fresh soft compound tyres. This third stop was prompted by Piastri’s McLaren suffering a transmission failure, forcing his retirement from the race.
Ferrari’s Challenges and Mercedes’ Performance
Ferrari, despite showing strong pace in practice, underperformed in qualifying. Hamilton, who qualified second, received a three-place grid penalty for impeding another driver during qualifying, dropping him to fifth on the grid. Charles Leclerc also had a lap time deleted in qualifying due to track limits, starting with only lightly used soft tyres.
During the race, Hamilton gained a position on the opening lap, while Leclerc fell from the front row to fifth. Ferrari’s strategy of early pit stops for Hamilton on Laps 13 and 30 did not yield the desired results against Max Verstappen. Both Ferrari drivers pitted again under the Lap 56 Virtual Safety Car for fresh soft tyres. Hamilton also incurred a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane, ultimately finishing behind Leclerc, with the Ferraris in fourth and fifth place.
Mercedes, a dominant force this season, appeared to be off the pace in Hungary. Kimi Antonelli received a three-place grid penalty for failing to lift sufficiently under yellow flags in qualifying, placing him seventh on the grid. His teammate, George Russell, also struggled with pace and sustained engine damage, requiring a new power unit for race day. Russell dropped to 21st at the start but fought back to finish seventh. Antonelli secured a podium finish, extending his championship lead to 50 points over Hamilton and 59 points over Russell before the summer break.
Liam Lawson finished eighth, and Arvid Lindblad secured 10th for Racing Bulls, moving them up in the standings.
Looking Ahead
Norris’s victory moves him to 98 points behind Antonelli in the championship. He expressed caution about future expectations, emphasising the importance of focusing on the present and continuous team effort. McLaren is set to introduce another upgrade at the next race, the Dutch Grand Prix, following the four-week summer break.
Piastri expressed his frustration with Sainz regarding their collision, stating that a lack of awareness was unacceptable. He also noted that his chances of winning the race were over after the incident. Sainz, for his part, claimed he had no idea Piastri was attempting to lap him and found the collision unavoidable. Piastri’s race ended prematurely due to a gearbox failure.
Ferrari’s team boss, Frederic Vasseur, acknowledged that the team made “too many mistakes” during the race, particularly after their strong performance on Friday.
The Hungarian Grand Prix was an entertaining conclusion to the first part of the 2026 F1 season before the summer break.
Source: formula1.com
