Lando Norris takes F1 Hungarian GP for first victory of season as Piastri retires

Lando Norris won the Hungarian Grand Prix with an assured drive for McLaren at the Hungaroring, his and the team’s first of the year. His run was a commanding performance once he was in front but behind him the there was no little drama and incident as Max Verstappen claimed second for Red Bull and Kimi Antonelli put in very strong comeback drive to take third from seventh on the gird, while Lewis Hamilton battled fiercely for all 70 laps and took a five-second penalty to finish fifth.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was in fourth but Norris’s McLaren’s teammate, Oscar Piastri, who had been leading and ultimately had to retire on lap 56 with a gearbox problem, was left fuming that he had been struck and blocked while trying to lap the backmarker Carlos Sainz in a Williams at a crucial point in the race.

Championship leader Antonelli further extended his lead, while his Mercedes teammate George Russell’s hopes took another blow as his car went into anti-stall on the grid, dropping him to 20th. He drove hard to come back to seventh but has dropped even more points to the Italian as the sport goes into its summer break. Antonelli now leads Hamilton by 50 points and Russell by 59.

The McLaren has shown marked improvement since the team brought upgrades and Norris made the most of it. It is his second win in a row in Hungary and the 12th of his career. With Norris also taking victory here last year and Piastri in 2024, McLaren have extended their record to 14 victories at the Hungaroring.

Norris just held his lead from pole though turn one but Piastri had burst up behind him from third and the Australian took the place at turn two while Hamilton moved from fifth to fourth and Leclerc dropped to fifth.

Piastri held control in the clean air to the first stops through which Hamilton and Verstappen enjoyed an entertaining fight. Red Bull pitted Verstappen a lap after Hamilton to cover off the Ferrari stop but Hamilton’s out-lap had been rapid, including a sharp, decisive pass on Arvid Lindblad and the British driver took the place as the Dutchman emerged from the pits. Verstappen however was not deterred and a lap later launched himself up the inside at Hamilton, late on the brakes with a brilliant move at turn one to take back the place.

Max Verstappen’s Red Bull (left) and Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari were involved in an entertaining battle in the early stages. Photograph: Tamas Vasvari/EPA

The McLarens maintained control, circulating line astern a second apart, although Norris believed he was faster than his teammate and should be let past.

Hamilton took his second stop on lap 30 and Piastri was called in on lap 33, giving Norris the clean air he wanted. He set about putting in a series of quick laps, while Piastri had very bad luck, impeded and struck by Sainz as he tried to move past. The Australian was very nearly knocked off the track but just held control to race on.

“Is he fucking stupid or what? Get out of the fucking way, you idiot! Oh my god,” a furious Piastri told his team.

Norris pitted on lap 39 and duly emerged in front of his teammate, the incident with Sainz, who had not spotted Piastri and turned into the McLaren, had cost him the place.

After Verstappen’s second stop, having stayed out longer, Hamilton had moved past him but the Dutchman had fresher rubber. Norris decisively passed Antonelli to retake the lead on lap 46 and swiftly demonstrated he did have much more pace than his teammate, opening up a strong lead.

Piastri retired by pulling off track on lap 56 which prompted a VSC, under which Hamilton took a quick pit stop as did Norris, while Verstappen stayed out gaining track position as did Antonelli.

Hamilton on new rubber threw himself at Antonelli but the British driver was also under investigation for speeding in the pit lane. Hamilton harried the Italian but did not have enough of an advantage to pass and was then given a five second penalty, dropping him form fourth to fifth.

Norris however was serene out front and closed out with calm control taking the flag from Verstappen by 15 seconds.

Earlier in the day F1 confirmed the addition of a race at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia, which will take place between the rounds in Baku and Singapore on 4 October. The meeting, which is to replace the cancelled Bahrain GP, is to be called the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, with Bahrain understood to be meeting much of the costs of hosting the race on the circuit near Kuala Lumpur.

The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, also cancelled due to the war in the Middle East, will not be replaced.

Sepang last held an F1 meeting in 2017, which was won by Verstappen and the addition of the race brings the calendar back to 23 races, if the two meetings which close the season in Qatar and Abu Dhabi are able to take place. F1 is understood to be considering adding a race at Imola as the season finale if they are called off.