Lando Norris delivered a commanding performance at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday, securing McLaren’s first victory of the Formula One season and signaling a significant boost in his psychological approach to racing, according to McLaren team principal Andrea Stella.

Norris’s win at the Hungaroring marked a notable break in the dominance of Mercedes, which had controlled much of the campaign until this point. The British driver finished ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in second place and Mercedes’s Kimi Antonelli in third. Norris had been quick throughout the race despite briefly dropping behind his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri in the early laps. Stella praised Norris’s composure during this period, highlighting the driver’s improved ability to manage his emotions and deploy his racing skills more effectively.

“He hasn’t really had the machinery to show it so far, but he showed it today,” Stella said. “Lando is much more confident. He’s much more aware of his tools he has in his driving, how to deploy these tools. He’s also more in control of his emotions.” Stella added that Norris’s ability to maintain calm while trailing Piastri allowed him to marshal his resources carefully and ultimately regain the lead en route to victory.

McLaren’s recent upgrades also played a role, particularly on a circuit like the Hungaroring, which demands sustained cornering performance. The improvements proved effective and helped Norris and the team return to competitiveness after a period of struggle earlier in the season.

Elsewhere, Mercedes driver George Russell encountered a difficult race. A technical issue at the start left him with a slow getaway, dropping from the front of the pack to 20th place before recovering to seventh. The result left him trailing teammate Antonelli, who leads the championship by 59 points. Russell expressed frustration with the repeated setbacks that have marred his season.

“I’m past the point of disappointment now, because if I’m continuing to be disappointed with everything that goes on, I’ll just be disappointed every day of the week,” Russell said. “It’s just unbelievable, the list of things that’ve happened this season. I’ve never had a season like this in my whole career, let alone my F1 career.”

The Hungarian Grand Prix outcome highlights both Norris’s rising trajectory within McLaren and the ongoing challenges facing Mercedes as the championship progresses.