Lando Norris claimed his first victory of the 2026 Formula 1 season with an emphatic performance at the Hungarian Grand Prix, leading Max Verstappen and Andrea Kimi Antonelli across the line after Oscar Piastri retired from contention. The result placed McLaren on the winners’ list for the first time this year and rewarded the progress made by the team with its upgraded MCL40.
Victory at the Hungaroring represented one of the finest performances of Lando Norris’s career. It came despite Oscar Piastri taking advantage of a good, although not perfect, start from the reigning world champion and despite McLaren choosing to cover Ferrari’s strategy. That decision potentially left the door open for Mercedes and Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who attempted to complete almost 55 laps on a one-stop strategy.
Lando Norris converts McLaren’s upgrades into a Hungarian GP win
The Hungarian GP victory was the culmination of an excellent first half of the season for Lando Norris, even if the performance of the MCL40 had previously prevented him from attracting as much attention as the leading drivers. McLaren found a new level of competitiveness through the upgrades introduced in Hungary, and Norris immediately capitalised.
After ending Mercedes’ qualifying dominance with his Hungarian Grand Prix pole position, Lando Norris completed the weekend by taking victory as the fastest driver on average during the race.
However, McLaren’s hopes of securing a one-two finish disappeared on lap 56. Oscar Piastri, who had led until lap 40, was forced to retire following a failure on his MCL40. The onboard footage appeared to suggest that the gearbox had failed.
Oscar Piastri loses potential victory before late retirement
Oscar Piastri made an excellent start and emerged from the first corner in the lead, but McLaren’s decision to release him into traffic after his second pit stop ultimately worked against him. His race was also affected by contact with Carlos Sainz, who struck the front of Piastri’s car at Turn 3 while battling a Haas.
Had Oscar Piastri completed the race in second place, the Australian would probably have had plenty to discuss after the chequered flag. His retirement may instead have eased any internal tension created by McLaren’s strategic decisions.
Max Verstappen inherits second after difficult Red Bull weekend
Oscar Piastri’s retirement promoted Max Verstappen to second place. Given how badly the weekend had developed for Red Bull, the result could almost be considered a sporting miracle.
“We shouldn’t talk about tyre degradation, but car degradation,” Max Verstappen had said after Saturday’s qualifying session. The Dutch driver had described the Red Bull RB22 as undriveable in Hungary, reflecting the scale of the difficulties he faced.
Despite the familiar gear-change problems and a set-up that remained far removed from his preferences, Max Verstappen recovered to secure a remarkable result in the circumstances.
Kimi Antonelli strengthens championship lead with podium
Andrea Kimi Antonelli completed the podium in third place. The Mercedes driver may still regret the grid penalty he received after qualifying, but the final result gave him another reason to smile.
Third place allowed Andrea Kimi Antonelli to extend his advantage in the Drivers’ Championship over Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes teammate George Russell. The latest championship picture can be followed in the updated 2026 Formula 1 driver standings.
Lewis Hamilton finished fifth, with his result also affected by a five-second penalty for exceeding the pit-lane speed limit during his final stop.
George Russell, meanwhile, lost the opportunity to achieve a stronger result because of a poor start. The anti-stall system appeared to activate shortly after the lights went out, costing the number 63 Mercedes its momentum. Russell dropped to 21st before recovering to seventh, one position behind Isack Hadjar’s Red Bull.
Ferrari miss the podium after costly opening lap
Ferrari endured an underwhelming race after arriving with hopes of challenging near the front. Poor starts from Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton immediately compromised the Italian team’s plans, which had been based on gaining positions with Soft tyres while the other leading drivers started on Mediums.
Once that early opportunity disappeared, Ferrari faced an uphill battle, although both cars remained close to the leaders when running on the Medium compound. The outcome represented a major disappointment after the Scuderia had expressed confidence in its Hungarian Grand Prix race pace.
Until Oscar Piastri retired, Lewis Hamilton remained in podium contention. Ferrari then called him into the pits for Soft tyres, but the decision cost him positions to both Max Verstappen and Andrea Kimi Antonelli on track. His five-second penalty completed the setback.
Charles Leclerc had started from the front row but fell to fifth by the end of the opening lap. He was never genuinely competitive enough to fight for the podium and eventually moved ahead of Lewis Hamilton in the final classification because of his teammate’s penalty, finishing fourth. Ferrari’s difficult afternoon came after a Hungarian GP starting grid that had offered both drivers opportunities to score heavily.
Racing Bulls score twice as Nico Hülkenberg ends Audi drought
Racing Bulls recorded another double points finish, with Liam Lawson taking eighth place and Arvid Lindblad finishing tenth. The VCARB 03 once again proved highly effective, including on a circuit where outright top speed is relatively unimportant.
Nico Hülkenberg also deserved credit after scoring his first points of the season with the Audi R26, finally ending a run of races outside the top 10. It provided another confidence boost for the German manufacturer after the useful points previously scored by Gabriel Bortoleto, who finished 11th in Hungary.
Aston Martin B-spec shows progress as Alpine struggle
Alpine endured a difficult race, with Pierre Gasly finishing 12th and Franco Colapinto only 15th. Between the two A526s came one of the day’s surprises: the Aston Martins of Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso.
The B-specification cars finished 13th and 14th respectively, demonstrating clear progress compared with the opening 10 races of the season. The result followed the arrival of the extensively revised Aston Martin AMR26 B-spec for the Hungarian weekend.
Haas and Williams continued to struggle, becoming the third-slowest and second-slowest teams at the Hungaroring. Esteban Ocon, Alexander Albon, Carlos Sainz and Oliver Bearman spent much of the race fighting one another during a difficult period for both teams.
Oliver Bearman, the British driver under contract with Ferrari, finished 19th and last among the classified runners following the retirements of Oscar Piastri and both Cadillacs.
Cadillac suffer further brake and suspension failures
The Hungarian Grand Prix delivered another warning for Cadillac regarding brake cooling and component reliability. Valtteri Bottas stopped in the pit lane with his front-left brake on fire, while Sergio Pérez retired several laps later following a suspension failure.
It was a worrying outcome for the American team, particularly after Cadillac had announced during the week that it had resolved both problems.
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