Hungarian Grand Prix winner Lando Norris (McLaren): “Happy to see the number 1 again!”

Lando Norris takes victory in the Hungarian Grand Prix from pole position! It is McLaren’s first Grand Prix win of the 2026 season – and, consequently, Norris’s first as well. The Briton is now the fifth Grand Prix winner in the last five races. And for him personally, it is his first Grand Prix victory since Interlagos in 2025 – and thus his first as Formula 1 World Champion!

Norris said after the race, looking visibly exhausted: “I’m tired.” No wonder! What a race – for a long time, it didn’t look like a win for Norris. Winning from pole – which sounds so relaxed – was anything but: On his way to victory, Norris also benefited from the misfortune of his team-mate Oscar Piastri. Piastri had overtaken him after the start. But because Piastri was first made contact with by Carlos Sainz – causing him to lose the lead to Norris – and then retired completely with gearbox damage, the win went to Norris.

Commenting on the first lap, when Norris was overtaken by Piastri, the Briton said: “I don’t know what happened there; I lost the rear end. It felt awful; I think I was simply a bit too wide. Game over for the first lap.”

Overall, though, things went more than respectably: “My pace was one of the best I’ve ever had. The pace was so good that I was able to extend my stints. I’m happy to be back and to see the number 1 again.” In other words, finally winning again.

The upgrades to the McLaren have paid off. Among other things, McLaren has brought a new underbody to Budapest. Norris: “I hope we can carry on like this. But we also knew this track would suit us. I knew, though, that I could still win races. It’s brilliant what the team has achieved. It’s a car that can win races. And I’m glad I was able to deliver that for them.”

Norris’s fiercest rival in the closing stages – during which he led by as much as 15 seconds at times – was Max Verstappen, who had worked his way up from fourth to second place thanks to a clever strategy. Norris gave it his all right up to the finish line – much to the concern, it seems, of his team, who warned him about the kerbs at the exit of the corners, a possible cause of Piastri’s gearbox failure.

Here’s how the Hungarian Grand Prix unfolded:

Apart from the two Ferraris, Aston Martin, Gabriel Bortoleto and Carlos Sainz (on soft tyres), all the drivers started on medium tyres. Oscar Piastri (on pole) got off to a flying start, snatching the lead ahead of his team-mate Lando Norris. It was a similar story at Ferrari: the team-mates also swapped positions. Charles Leclerc (2nd on the grid) got off to a slow start – unlike the other drivers on soft tyres, he was on used tyres. Leclerc dropped back to 5th place, behind Hamilton – and behind Max Verstappen, who had moved up from 4th to 3rd.

Russell with start problems

George Russell had major problems at the start: he dropped from 6th on the grid all the way down to 21st. He reported “anti-stall”, and the anti-lock braking system kicked in. The Briton crept out of his starting grid position. He fought his way further up the field and was ninth after his late (lap 28) pit stop.

Thrilling racing between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton kept the fans entertained in the early stages: Hamilton used an undercut to move ahead of Verstappen (laps 14/15). On lap 16, however, Verstappen made a strong move on the track to overtake him again. After both had passed Lawson, Verstappen cleverly seized the opportunity.

Double setback for Cadillac

More major problems for Cadillac: Sergio Perez is under investigation for a breach of the starting procedure. The verdict will be handed down after the race. It is possible that this will once again result in a false start for the Mexican. He has already had this problem several times this season. On lap 15, Valtteri Bottas reported that there was a lot of smoke coming from under his cockpit. He headed for the pits but had to pull over to the right in the pit lane, triggering a yellow flag in the pit lane. The team later announced that Bottas had to retire due to overheating brakes. A recurring problem for the American team. On lap 51, Perez reported suspension issues and subsequently retired as well. A double DNF, then.

Once everyone had pitted, the order was: Piastri ahead of Norris, Verstappen, Leclerc, Hamilton and Antonelli – until Hamilton pulled in for another stop on lap 31. The Brit was really quick afterwards – but initially found himself stuck behind Isack Hadjar. Charles Leclerc found himself in exactly the same situation after his second stop, but managed to overtake on lap 38.

At McLaren, Piastri was leading, so he received preferential treatment when it came to strategy. The Australian was the first to pull into the pits – and was then clipped by Carlos Sainz, who had been lapped. This cost Piastri valuable time, meaning that Norris, who pitted five laps after Piastri, emerged earlier than his team-mate. Sainz received a five-second penalty for this shortly afterwards.

Verstappen then adopted an unusual strategy: on lap 42 of 70, he switched to soft tyres. “Are there any indications that the tyres can last until the end?” he asked. “Yes, there are,” replied race engineer Lambiase over the radio.

Piastri’s gearbox failure

Discussions about the internal McLaren battle came to an end on lap 56 when Oscar Piastri came to a halt at the side of the track with gearbox failure. A bitter retirement for him after leading the race! A virtual safety car (unfortunate for Russell: straight after his second stop, which had put him in P8) and several pit stops! Norris, Hamilton and Leclerc switched to soft tyres. Hamilton and Antonelli crossed the safety car line almost simultaneously; Hamilton initially had the advantage and was in front, but then gave the position back to Antonelli. The order on lap 60 of 70: Norris ahead of Verstappen, Antonelli, Hamilton and Leclerc.

Late penalty for Hamilton

The run of penalties from the previous day (a three-place grid penalty for obstructing Piastri) continued for Lewis Hamilton during the race. Because he was driving too fast in the pit lane, he was handed a five-second time penalty. That puts Hamilton in fifth place behind Leclerc. The top finishers: Norris, Verstappen, Antonelli, Leclerc, Hamilton, Hadjar, Russell.

Great cause for celebration for German F1 fans: Nico Hülkenberg secured his first Formula 1 points of the 2026 season with a ninth-place finish.