Norris storms to first win of season at Hungarian Grand Prix

Lando Norris claimed the 12th win of his Formula One career after finishing the Hungarian Grand Prix ahead of Max Verstappen on Sunday.

Lando Norris signed off for Formula One's summer break with his first victory of the season as he converted his pole position into a win at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Norris had not won a race since the Sao Paulo Grand Prix last November, but he was able to get the job done on Sunday on what was a difficult day for team-mate Oscar Piastri.

After being undercut by Norris earlier in the race, Piastri was forced to retire due to an issue with his gearbox when chasing the lead in the closing stages.

Max Verstappen delivered an impressive drive to finish second while championship leader Kimi Antonelli boosted his title hopes by crossing the chequered flag in third place.

Lewis Hamilton finished fourth but dropped a place to fifth after being handed a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane, with team-mate Charles Leclerc jumping above him.

The Red Bull of Isack Hadjar and Mercedes' George Russell took sixth and seventh, respectively, the latter overcoming an awful start after sustaining an issue at the start of the race.

Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad were eighth and 10th, with the Audi of Nico Hulkenberg sandwiched in between the Racing Bulls at the Hungaroring.

Piastri made the most of being bumped up to third on the grid following penalties for both Hamilton and Antonelli and aggressively overtook Leclerc and Norris to take the lead on the first lap.

However, it proved to be a nightmare start for Russell, who dropped to the back after his Mercedes stalled on the line, which saw him swallowed up by the entire grid.

Ferrari chose to start Hamilton and Leclerc on the soft tyres for a better beginning, but that failed to transpire, with the seven-time world champion brought into the pits quickly.

Hamilton was able to undercut Verstappen on lap 15 after the Red Bull driver came in to pit, only for the Dutchman to regain the position with a sensational late-braking overtake.

But the decisive moment came on lap 30 following Piastri and Norris' second stops, with the latter coming out ahead after a collision between the Australian and Carlos Sainz.

And it got even worse for Piastri 14 laps from the end after a problem with his gearbox forced him to retire, with the virtual safety car allowing some of the frontrunners to pit.

Hamilton attempted to challenge Antonelli for third, but his hopes of a record-extending 13th podium in Hungary were dashed after receiving a five-second time penalty for speeding in the pit lane, with Norris crossing the line over 15 seconds ahead of Verstappen.

Norris goes back-to-back in Hungary for McLaren

Having made his complaints about the new F1 regulations clear in recent weeks, Norris delivered an outstanding weekend in Hungary from start to finish.

Ahead of Sunday, the last five winners in Hungary had all started outside of pole position, but Norris ripped up that script to become the first driver to win at the Hungaroring when starting at the front of the pack since Hamilton in 2020 for Mercedes.

It also saw Norris win the same grand prix more than once for the first time in his career (also in 2025), while also ensuring McLaren have won three consecutive races in Hungary for the first time since between 2007 and 2009, with Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen.

His 25 points also helped McLaren become the fourth constructor in F1 history to surpass 8,000 points, and he will be hoping to add even more to their tally once racing resumes at the Dutch Grand Prix on August 23.

It was also a positive race for Antonelli after his pre-race penalty. His third-place finish extends his championship lead to 50 points over Hamilton.

TOP 10

1. Lando Norris (McLaren)

2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

3. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)

4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

5. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)

6. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull)

7. George Russell (Mercedes)

8. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)

9. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi)

10. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls)

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