Lando Norris secured his first victory of the 2026 Formula 1 season at the Hungarian Grand Prix, driving for McLaren. The win at the Hungaroring marked McLaren’s first victory of the year. Max Verstappen finished in second place for Red Bull, while Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes completed a strong comeback drive to take third.
The race saw an early battle between Norris and his McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri. Norris, who started from pole position, initially lost the lead to Piastri in a competitive opening lap. Piastri had a strong start, capitalizing on Norris going wide at the second turn to gain track position on a circuit known for challenging overtaking opportunities. Despite Norris’s clear pace advantage, he found it difficult to pass Piastri in the initial stages.
Race Developments and Pit Stop Strategy
The McLaren team implemented an upgrade package for the Hungarian Grand Prix, which contributed to their strong performance throughout the weekend. Norris expressed frustration over the team radio, indicating he believed he had more pace than his teammate and questioned if he could pit first before the second round of pit stops. However, he was instructed to remain out.
McLaren eventually pitted Piastri just before the halfway point of the 70-lap race, while Norris extended his stint on older tires. Norris managed to slightly outpace Piastri during this period. Piastri encountered difficulties with lapped traffic, making minor contact with Williams’ Carlos Sainz, who reportedly did not see the Australian at Turn 2. This incident with Sainz, who Piastri described as blocking him, was a crucial moment in the race.
Norris pitted on Lap 40 and emerged ahead of his teammate, subsequently dominating the rest of the race. Piastri, who was on course for a second-place finish, later retired on lap 56 due to a gearbox issue. This mechanical problem led to a late Virtual Safety Car with 14 laps remaining.
Meanwhile, Ferrari made a strategic decision to pit Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc from second and fifth positions, respectively. This proved to be a disadvantage for Hamilton, who incurred a five-second time penalty for speeding in the pit lane. This penalty prevented him from overtaking Max Verstappen or Kimi Antonelli, both of whom did not pit during this period.
Verstappen maintained second place after a strong final stint. Antonelli successfully defended his position against Hamilton on the track, further extending his championship lead. Antonelli now leads Hamilton by 50 points and George Russell by 59 points. Hamilton’s penalty ultimately demoted him to fifth place, behind his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, who finished fourth. Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar secured sixth place.
Championship Implications and Upcoming Races
Antonelli’s strong performance further solidified his position at the top of the championship standings. His Mercedes teammate, George Russell, faced an early setback when his car went into anti-stall on the grid, dropping him to 20th. Despite a determined drive to recover to seventh place, Russell lost additional points to Antonelli as the sport heads into its summer break.
The Hungarian Grand Prix also saw the official addition of a race at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia to the 2026 Formula 1 calendar. This event, scheduled for October 4, will take place between the rounds in Baku and Singapore. It is set to replace the previously canceled Bahrain Grand Prix and will be known as the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. Bahrain is understood to be covering a significant portion of the hosting costs for the race near Kuala Lumpur. The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, also canceled, will not be replaced.
The Sepang circuit last hosted a Formula 1 event in 2017. The addition of this race brings the calendar back to 23 races, contingent on the final two meetings of the season in Qatar and Abu Dhabi proceeding as planned. Formula 1 is reportedly considering adding a race at Imola as the season finale if these events are called off.
The Formula 1 season will resume after the summer break with a Sprint weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix, scheduled from August 21-23.
Source: skysports.com
