McLaren has achieved a significant milestone by claiming its 200th race victory in the history of the Formula 1 World Championship. The team from Woking celebrated yet another one-two finish in the 2025 season, once again underlining its clear superiority over the rest of the field—particularly over a fragile and inconsistent Scuderia Ferrari, which once again failed to capitalise on seemingly favourable circumstances. Lando Norris has now reduced the gap to Oscar Piastri in the Drivers’ Championship standings, and he will return from the summer break just nine points behind his Australian team-mate.
Norris’ comeback drive
British driver Lando Norris had a very poor start, dropping back early in the race and finding himself in fourth place. He had to mount a comeback using a one-stop strategy, reminiscent of Charles Leclerc’s 2024-style tyre management tactics. Considering the way his race had begun, the eventual victory seemed highly unlikely at the time. His performance was also commendable in the final stages, where he had to defend strongly against the advances of Oscar Piastri, who may have been a little too conservative in challenging his team-mate—similar to what we witnessed earlier this season in Austria.
Lando Norris later explained that he was extremely pleased and genuinely happy with the outcome. He acknowledged that it had been a very tough race and revealed that a one-stop strategy had not been the original plan. However, after the opening lap, it became their only realistic option to remain competitive. During the final stint, Norris had to push to the absolute limit, especially once Oscar Piastri started closing in. This made the victory all the more rewarding, as he felt it was truly the maximum they could have achieved under the circumstances.
The British driver added that he was confident about the car’s pace, even during the early phase when he was stuck behind George Russell. Although overtaking was difficult, the McLaren had strong race pace, and as soon as he had clean air, everything began to fall into place. According to Norris, strategies like this are always a risk, but they force the driver to be extremely precise and avoid mistakes, requiring perfect execution in every aspect: strategy, pace, and tyre management. He was very satisfied that everything had gone smoothly.
Lando Norris also commented on the current level of competition, describing it as so high that it is difficult to know who really has the edge at any given moment. He acknowledged that both he and Oscar Piastri are pushing each other very hard, which makes the battle intense but enjoyable. The result was especially meaningful for the whole team, as it marked McLaren’s 200th victory in Formula 1—an extraordinary achievement. He also congratulated Piastri for his strong effort in the closing stages and expressed relief at having held on to take the win.
Frustration for the championship leader
Oscar Piastri ultimately became the sacrificial victim in McLaren’s strategic approach during the Hungarian Grand Prix. In that specific race scenario, with Lando Norris on a recovery drive and Charles Leclerc posing a threat, the Woking-based team made a calculated decision to prioritise Norris’ chances of victory. This decision disregarded the issues that the Ferrari driver would later face, but the outcome benefited the excitement and balance of the championship.
Unsurprisingly, Oscar Piastri, the current leader of the Formula 1 World Championship, did not share that perspective. He stated that he had given absolutely everything during the race. Once he realised that Norris was going for a one-stop strategy, Piastri understood that he would need to overtake him on track—something that is far easier said than done at the Hungaroring. He attempted a couple of overtaking manoeuvres despite the inherent risk, but things simply did not work out as he had hoped.
Piastri also praised the team for its hard work throughout the weekend. He noted that the car demonstrated its full potential particularly in the second half of the Grand Prix, although it had been competitive from the very first practice session. Looking ahead, he said he was eager to enjoy a few days off during the summer break. When asked whether he had been surprised by Norris’ strategic choice, he admitted he was a little caught off guard, but not completely. According to the Australian driver, Norris had little to lose, so it was not entirely unexpected. He questioned whether following Charles Leclerc’s strategy had been the best possible move but acknowledged that something had been missing in their race to make the plan truly work.
Oscar Piastri explained that he needed to be just a few tenths closer to Norris in order to take advantage of any potential mistake. At the time, he believed it was his best chance to make a move. Perhaps he could have tried again the following lap, but he felt that another opportunity might not arise. He decided to go for it, but unfortunately, it did not pay off.
McLaren reaches 200 Formula 1 victories
McLaren has now reached the historic figure of 200 Grand Prix victories in the Formula 1 World Championship. The Woking-based team is technically dominating this season, but fortunately for the sport and its fans, the two drivers are (almost) evenly sharing the wins. Oscar Piastri has six victories so far, while Lando Norris has claimed five. With the Constructors’ Championship now virtually secured—pending only mathematical confirmation—the second half of the season promises an even more intense intra-team battle starting from the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort.
Special praise is due to Andrea Stella, the team principal of the British outfit. He commented on the result by stating that it was a fantastic one-two finish that delivered McLaren’s 200th win in Formula 1. Stella said that he, along with Chief Executive Officer Zak Brown and the entire team, felt extremely proud of reaching such a significant milestone. He added that it was an honour to continue the legacy started by the team’s founder, Bruce McLaren.
Andrea Stella also noted that while the two-stop strategy was theoretically a bit quicker, Lando Norris managed to opt for a one-stop approach thanks to his advantageous position on the track. This allowed him to take a different strategic route compared to the rest of the field and successfully manage the medium tyres in the first stint, as well as the hard tyres all the way to the chequered flag.
As for Oscar Piastri, Stella said that he should be pleased with his weekend performance, as he had been very competitive and fought hard for the victory in the final stages of the race. Both drivers gave everything to maximise their opportunities, and according to the team boss, the race could have gone either way. He concluded by saying it had been an intense but fair battle, with both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri perfectly embodying the core values of the McLaren Formula 1 team.
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