Lando Norris secured McLaren’s first Formula One victory of the season at the Hungarian Grand Prix on July 26, ending a 259-day winless streak and reviving his hopes of a late championship challenge. The race in Budapest was marked by a series of incidents and strategic battles, with Norris capitalizing on a collision between Oscar Piastri and Carlos Sainz to take the lead. Norris maintained strong pace throughout, claiming his first win since last November’s Brazilian Grand Prix.
Norris, who is currently 91 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli, expressed confidence in McLaren’s progress, emphasizing recent upgrades that improved the car’s competitiveness. “The car was certainly better here and the quickest all weekend,” Norris said, while acknowledging the need for continued improvements to maintain pace across all circuits. “If we can, then maybe the title is a genuine question.”
Antonelli, the 19-year-old Ferrari driver, managed to finish third despite a three-place grid penalty for impeding Piastri during qualifying. He has extended his championship lead but faced increasing pressure as both McLaren and Ferrari have introduced significant upgrades. Antonelli described the upcoming races as a tight contest involving teams including McLaren, Ferrari, Red Bull, and Mercedes, noting the need to keep improving in a competitive field.
The race saw a subdued performance from Mercedes, who had been expected to challenge more strongly. Lewis Hamilton, hindered by a grid penalty and a five-second race penalty for a pitlane speeding infraction, finished fifth, behind his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc. Hamilton’s difficulties were compounded by strategic uncertainties and track conditions. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff highlighted ongoing challenges, particularly noting George Russell’s issues with his power unit, which disrupted his start and hampered his race strategy. Russell eventually recovered to seventh but lost ground in the championship standings.
Max Verstappen finished second in a race that left him puzzled given his ongoing concerns over his Red Bull’s performance. He delivered a notable double overtake during the race but remained uncertain about the car’s capabilities.
The Hungaroring track, often compared to Monaco for its limited overtaking opportunities, played a significant role in the race dynamics. Teams had to carefully manage tyre strategies and track position, especially given this year’s less effective “overtake” mode compared to previous seasons.
The race was further affected by a collision involving Sainz and Piastri, which led to a penalty for Sainz and the retirement of Piastri due to gearbox failure. The incident underscored the challenges faced by midfield drivers contending with backmarkers and highlighted occasional faults in the electronic blue flag system used during the race.
In other developments, Formula One confirmed that the Malaysian Grand Prix will return to the calendar from October 2-4 at Sepang International Circuit, replacing the Bahrain Grand Prix due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. This marks the circuit’s first Formula One race since 2017. F1 president Stefano Domenicali praised the decision as a demonstration of the sport’s adaptability. Final decisions on the status of races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi will be made later in the season, with Imola in Europe being a likely fallback venue if necessary.