Lando Norris delivered McLaren’s first Formula One victory of the 2026 season after overcoming early setbacks and surviving late-race drama to win Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring.
The reigning world champion crossed the finish line 15.080 seconds ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, while Mercedes youngster Kimi Antonelli completed the podium in third after another composed drive that helped him retain the championship lead.
Norris converted pole position into victory despite losing the race lead to McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri on the opening lap. Piastri executed a clever move at Turn Two and controlled the race through the opening stages, while Norris repeatedly informed his team over the radio that he had the pace to challenge for the lead.
The turning point came just after halfway when Piastri, negotiating traffic after his second pit stop, collided with Williams driver Carlos Sainz while attempting to lap the Spaniard. The incident disrupted the Australian’s race and allowed Norris, who had stayed out longer and produced a series of rapid laps, to leapfrog his teammate through strategy.
Piastri’s difficult afternoon deteriorated further when a gearbox problem forced him to retire with just 15 laps remaining, triggering a Virtual Safety Car that reshuffled the order behind Norris.
Verstappen and Antonelli benefited from the timing of the caution to secure second and third respectively, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc inherited fourth after teammate Lewis Hamilton received a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane.
Hamilton had crossed the line fourth after an aggressive three-stop strategy but was demoted to fifth once the penalty was applied.
Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar finished sixth ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell, who recovered impressively from dropping to 19th at the start after his car’s anti-stall system activated off the line.
Racing Bulls continued their strong run of form with Liam Lawson claiming eighth and rookie Arvid Lindblad securing 10th, sandwiching Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg in ninth.
Aston Martin also showed encouraging progress following recent upgrades, with Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso finishing 13th and 14th respectively.
Speaking after the race, Norris admitted the opening lap had been far from comfortable but praised the pace of his McLaren.
“My pace today was probably some of the best pace I’ve ever had. The car was beautiful to drive and I felt very confident,” said Norris.
Formula One now heads into its traditional summer break before returning for the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort from August 21 to 23, where Antonelli will look to extend his championship advantage while McLaren aims to build on its breakthrough victory.
- Lando Norris secured McLaren’s first Formula One win of 2026 at the Hungarian Grand Prix, finishing 15.080 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen.
- Norris regained the lead after teammate Oscar Piastri collided with Carlos Sainz and later retired due to a gearbox failure.
- Kimi Antonelli finished third, maintaining his lead in the championship standings.
- Lewis Hamilton was penalized five seconds for speeding in the pit lane, dropping from fourth to fifth place.
- The race saw strong performances from Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar, Mercedes’ George Russell, and promising results from Aston Martin following recent upgrades.
Norris converted pole position into victory despite losing the race lead to McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri on the opening lap. Piastri executed a clever move at Turn Two and controlled the race through the opening stages, while Norris repeatedly informed his team over the radio that he had the pace to challenge for the lead.
Piastri’s difficult afternoon deteriorated further when a gearbox problem forced him to retire with just 15 laps remaining, triggering a Virtual Safety Car that reshuffled the order behind Norris.
Verstappen and Antonelli benefited from the timing of the caution to secure second and third respectively, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc inherited fourth after teammate Lewis Hamilton received a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane.
Hamilton had crossed the line fourth after an aggressive three-stop strategy but was demoted to fifth once the penalty was applied.
Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar finished sixth ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell, who recovered impressively from dropping to 19th at the start after his car’s anti-stall system activated off the line.
Aston Martin also showed encouraging progress following recent upgrades, with Lance Stroll and
“My pace today was probably some of the best pace I’ve ever had.
car was beautiful to drive and I felt very confident,” said Norris. The
Formula One now heads into its traditional summer break before returning for the Dutch
