Norris Triumphs in Hungary
Lando Norris of McLaren secured his first Grand Prix victory of the season at the Hungarian Grand Prix, showcasing strong pace throughout the race. This win also marked the first time in the 2026 Formula 1 season that a non-Mercedes driver started on pole position for a Grand Prix, ending Mercedes’ 10-race pole streak. Norris had previously achieved pole position in the Miami sprint race earlier in the season, becoming the first non-Mercedes driver to do so in any race format.
Norris expressed satisfaction with McLaren’s upgrades, stating that the car was “beautiful to drive” and that his pace was among the best he has ever had. He confidently beat Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli to the top step of the podium. The victory places Norris just 10 points behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in the standings, indicating a significant improvement from the beginning of the season.
Race Dynamics and Penalties
The reigning World Champion, Norris, started from pole position. However, the race was not without its challenges. His teammate, Oscar Piastri, initially took the lead on the opening lap. Norris went wide at Turn 2, losing his position, and later became frustrated while being stuck behind Piastri. McLaren eventually called Piastri into the pits for his second stop, allowing Norris to race in clean air. Norris then executed faster laps and maintained his advantage over Piastri after the latter’s subsequent pit stop, leading to a controlled drive to victory. Piastri’s race ended prematurely with a suspected gearbox issue, resulting in the second McLaren retiring.
In qualifying, Norris set the fastest time, ahead of Lewis Hamilton by 0.012 seconds. However, Hamilton, driving for Ferrari, was handed a three-place grid penalty for impeding Piastri in Q3, causing him to start fifth. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes, who qualified fourth, also received a three-place grid penalty for failing to slow sufficiently under single yellow flags during his final Q3 lap. These penalties meant Verstappen, who spun out late in Q3 bringing out the yellow flags, started fourth alongside Piastri in third.
Antonelli’s teammate, George Russell, was also affected by Verstappen’s spin and stopped on the track shortly after due to a water pressure leak. Mercedes opted to change Russell’s power unit for race day, marking his fourth unit of the season, which is within the allowed allotment.
Track Characteristics and Future Outlook
The Hungaroring track, known for its many slow-speed corners and narrowness, has been compared to “Monaco without walls,” making overtaking difficult. This characteristic emphasizes the importance of pit strategy for drivers aiming to move up the order. The track also experiences some of the highest temperatures on the Formula 1 calendar, which can lead to increased tire degradation. Despite the challenging nature of the track for overtaking, the pole-sitter has not won in Hungary in the past five years.
Norris had previously started on pole in 2024 but lost out to Piastri at the first turn, with Piastri going on to secure his maiden Grand Prix win that year. In 2025, Norris won from third on the grid by employing a one-stop strategy. The characteristics of the Hungaroring are said to favour Ferrari, which possesses a strong chassis on the grid. Charles Leclerc, last year’s pole-sitter for Ferrari, started second after his teammate’s grid penalty, though he has not finished on the podium in Hungary before.
Norris expressed optimism about carrying this momentum forward to the Dutch Grand Prix, the next race on the calendar. He believes that while there will be moments of struggle and moments that might be even better, the team can continue their strong performance. He acknowledged that the Hungaroring is a track that suits him well. Norris emphasized the team’s hard work in developing a car capable of winning again and stressed the need to continue putting pressure on their competition. The team will now enjoy a break before returning to racing.
Source: formula1.com
Ethan Brule is a Senior Hockey Writer at CasinoNews. He covered the NHL for a national Canadian outlet. He focuses on the NHL, the Maple Leafs and Team Canada and is known for clear, deadline-driven reporting. He holds a degree in Sports Media from Toronto Metropolitan University. Now based in Toronto, he plays beer-league hockey and follows the junior ranks. “Hockey in Canada is never only about the score.”
