Norris Takes Victory at Hungaroring, Piastri Narrowing Championship Gap
Hungary — Lando Norris triumphed in a thrilling race at the Hungaroring, marking his second victory of the season and McLaren’s 200th overall win. This critical result narrows his championship deficit to just nine points against teammate Oscar Piastri as the season heads into the midseason break.
Norris’s path to victory was neither straightforward nor expected. After initially dropping from third to fifth at the start — following an overambitious move on Piastri — he found himself struggling for pace in the early stages. It took him two laps to overtake Fernando Alonso for fourth, while George Russell held off his advances, keeping him distanced from leaders Charles Leclerc and Piastri.
In a strategic shift, Norris opted for a one-stop strategy on the advice of his team, remaining on track until lap 31. As Leclerc and Piastri made their stops earlier, Norris’s tire management began to pay off, allowing him to clock fastest laps and close the gap to the leaders.
Leclerc’s late stop on lap 40 proved ineffective; despite fresher tires, he could not make up ground. He later expressed frustration over undisclosed team issues impacting his performance. Piastri delayed his pit stop until lap 45, rejoining the race 12.2 seconds behind the leader but quickly made up the distance to challenge Norris.
In the closing laps, Piastri mounted a fierce charge, but despite multiple attempts to overtake, he could not close the gap sufficiently to execute a clean pass. Norris held firm under pressure, ultimately crossing the finish line first.
“I was pushing flat out during the final stint. It was tough,” Norris commented post-race. “The perfect result today makes it all worthwhile.”
Piastri acknowledged that Norris’s strategic decision impacted his chances. “I pushed as hard as I could. In hindsight, I wonder if the undercut was the right call,” he reflected.
George Russell secured third place after a late-race pass on Leclerc, who expressed dissatisfaction with his team’s strategy decisions. Russell’s move involved a controversial block from Leclerc but succeeded nonetheless, securing his spot on the podium with a time of “really happy with the race today.”
Alonso managed to finish fifth, maintaining his position from the start, while Gabriel Bortoleto and Lance Stroll completed the top seven. Max Verstappen’s race concluded in ninth amidst ongoing investigations about his overtaking of Lewis Hamilton.
Overall, the Hungarian Grand Prix highlighted strong strategic maneuvering, demonstrating the importance of tire management and race craft in achieving competitive results.
Race Results:
- Lando Norris (McLaren)
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
- George Russell (Mercedes)
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
- Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
- Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber)
- Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
- Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull) — under investigation
- Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
Further race analysis and details on ongoing investigations are pending.
