Oscar Piastri finishes runner-up at the Hungarian Grand Prix behind teammate Lando Norris after a close battle with Charles Leclerc. The McLaren driver reflects on strategy and missed chances.
Oscar Piastri crossed the finish line in second place at the 2025 Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix, coming in just behind his McLaren teammate Lando Norris after spending much of the race fighting hard against Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc. The young Australian driver had no real opportunity to counter his teammate’s successful one-stop strategy, which ultimately handed the race win to Lando Norris, who in doing so got the better of Piastri this time around.
Piastri, who secured second place at the chequered flag at the Hungaroring circuit, commented on his race with a mix of enthusiasm and slight disappointment just before stepping onto the podium. He pointed to both bad luck and the fact that his teammate made no mistakes during the race as factors that prevented him from fighting for victory.
Speaking after completing the 70 laps of the race, Oscar Piastri enthusiastically described the strong sensations he felt in the car but also reflected on the previous day’s qualifying session, which forced him to start the race from second on the grid rather than from pole position.
“I pushed as hard as I could,” said Oscar Piastri. “But once I realized that Lando was committing to a one-stop strategy, I knew I would have to pass him out on track. That’s extremely difficult at this circuit. I took some risks and made a few bold attempts, but luck just wasn’t on my side today.”
Reflecting further on the performance of his McLaren MCL39, Piastri praised the strong feeling he had behind the wheel and the overall pace of the car throughout the race weekend. “The car was fantastic, and the team did an excellent job. We were just missing something, perhaps just a couple of tenths of a second to stay closer and be ready to capitalize if Lando made even the smallest mistake.”
Despite the frustration of missing out on a potential win, Oscar Piastri remained positive, choosing to see the brighter side of the result as he enters the summer break still very much in contention in the Drivers’ Championship. “Was I surprised by Lando’s race? Yes and no. He didn’t have much to lose, so that kind of strategy wasn’t a massive surprise. Now, a few days to rest and reset will be really valuable before the season resumes.”
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