Lando Norris claimed his fourth win of the season at the Hungarian Grand Prix, fending off a late charge from McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri in a tactical thriller at the Hungaroring. The result trims Piastri’s championship lead to just nine points heading into the summer break.
After dropping to fifth on the opening lap, Norris committed to a bold one-stop strategy, making a long final stint on hard tyres work to perfection despite mounting pressure from Piastri in the closing laps.
McLaren Strategy Gamble Pays Off
While most front-runners opted for two stops, Norris extended his first stint to lap 31 before switching to hards, banking on clean air and tyre conservation to regain ground. Meanwhile, Piastri and McLaren’s strategists focused on undercutting Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc — a decision that allowed Norris to leapfrog both cars once the pit stop cycles completed.
Piastri closed a nine-second gap to Norris after passing Leclerc on lap 51 and mounted an aggressive charge in the final five laps, twice diving for the inside at Turn 1. But with the Hungaroring notoriously difficult for overtaking, Norris held firm to win by less than two seconds.
Russell Denies Leclerc in Late Duel
George Russell took third for Mercedes after hunting down Leclerc in the final stint. The Ferrari, which had led early on from pole, faded dramatically in the final 20 laps. Russell overtook Leclerc with eight laps to go and was handed extra breathing room after the Monegasque received a five-second penalty for erratic defending.
Ferrari later confirmed that Leclerc had been dealing with a hybrid system issue post-pit stop, compromising both his pace and energy deployment.
Alonso, Bortoleto Star in Midfield
Fernando Alonso delivered a strategic masterclass, finishing fifth with a calculated one-stop strategy and helping lift Aston Martin to sixth in the constructors’ standings. Behind him, his protégé Gabriel Bortoleto took an impressive sixth for Sauber — his best F1 finish to date.
Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli rounded out the points in tenth, behind Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson and a subdued Max Verstappen, who struggled all weekend in an uncompetitive Red Bull and could only manage ninth.
Hamilton’s Weekend to Forget
Lewis Hamilton endured a disappointing race, finishing 12th after a difficult qualifying session left him starting outside the top 10. A long first stint on hard tyres failed to yield results, and the seven-time champion spent much of the race stuck in midfield traffic.
How Norris Seized the Win
The decisive moment came during the pit stop window, when Norris chose to extend his first stint while Leclerc and Piastri boxed earlier. That tyre offset allowed Norris to push hard in clean air, making the one-stop strategy viable despite initial doubts from McLaren.
“I didn’t think it would get us the win,” Norris said. “But once I got into clear air and could manage the tyres, I knew there was a chance. Oscar was coming fast, but I gave it everything.”
Piastri added: “I pushed as hard as I could, but overtaking here is incredibly tough. We’ll review the Leclerc undercut decision, but overall, a strong weekend.”
What’s Next?
Formula 1 now heads into its traditional summer break. Racing resumes at Zandvoort for Round 15 and the Dutch Grand Prix from 22–24 August, where McLaren’s title fight looks set to intensify even further.
