Norris Strikes Again in Hungary
Rainy Start,Dry Finish:Norris Wins in Hungary as McLaren Dominates Once Again
The Hungarian Grand Prix weekend began under heavy clouds.Rain in the morning soaked the Hungaroring, causing poor visibility and multiple incidents during the Formula3 race. However, by the time the Formula1 main event got underway, the track had dried and the weather remained clear throughout the race.
McLaren dominated the practice sessions: Lando Norris topped both sessions on Friday, while Oscar Piastri set the fastest time in Saturday’s final practice. Nonetheless, in a remarkably close qualifying session—where the top ten were separated by just 0.543 seconds—it was Charles Leclerc who surprised the paddock by securing pole position for Ferrari, edging out his rivals by mere thousandths.
The starting grid lined up with Leclerc and Piastri on the front row, followed by Norris and George Russell, with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll occupying the third row. Pirelli supplied the softest compounds for this event: C3 (Hard), C4 (Medium), and C5 (Soft). Tyre strategies varied across the field: Lewis Hamilton and Pierre Gasly opted for the Hard compound, Carlos Sainz and Nico Hulkenberg started on Softs, while the rest began on Mediums.
At lights out, Leclerc maintained his lead, while Norris and Hamilton each lost several positions. Max Verstappen briefly fell behind Liam Lawson before reclaiming the place. Hülkenberg received a five-second penalty for a jump start, and Isack Hadjar suffered a hand injury after debris from Ollie Bearman's car struck him.
Early in the race, Alonso formed a DRS train by holding up a tightly packed group of cars. Many drivers delayed their pit stops, hoping to make a one-stop strategy work.
Midway through the race, pit stops reshuffled the order. Russell overtook Alonso, and Piastri leapfrogged Leclerc after the stops. Leclerc, meanwhile, complained about poor handling and was later handed a five-second penalty for erratic defending.
In the closing stages, Piastri—on fresher tyres—closed in on Norris, entering DRS range with just a few laps to go. The two McLaren drivers engaged in a tense but clean battle, narrowly avoiding contact under braking.Ultimately, Norris held his ground.
Lando Norris took victory in Hungary—his ninth career win and fifth of the season. It marked a historic 200th Grand Prix win for McLaren. Oscar Piastri finished second, delivering the team’s fourth consecutive one-two finish and seventh of the season. George Russell completed the podium in third.
Gabriel Bortoleto finished sixth, achieving the best result of his rookie Formula1 season.
Formula1 now heads into the summer break. Racing will resume at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort at the end of August.
