Lando Norris wins 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix as Kimi Antonelli extends lead

Lando Norris wins 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix as Kimi Antonelli extends lead

Lando Norris ended a long wait for a Formula 1 victory on Sunday, winning the Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring. The win marks McLaren’s first race victory of the season and the 12th career win for Norris, his first full Grand Prix victory since Sao Paulo in November.

Starting from pole position after finishing 0.012 seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton in qualifying, Norris controlled much of the race. Despite a difficult start where he ran wide at the second corner, he eventually secured the win ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli.

Norris described the performance as some of the best pace he has ever had, stating the car felt beautiful to drive. He noted that while his first two laps were not my finest due to being a bit overly aggressive, the subsequent pace from both himself and the car was pretty incredible.

McLaren dominance and Piastri's retirement

McLaren appeared positioned for a one-two finish after Oscar Piastri took the lead from Norris early in the race. However, the dynamic shifted during the second pit-stop phase. Piastri lost time while navigating slower traffic and made contact with Carlos Sainz’s Williams. This allowed Norris to regain the lead via an overcut in the pit lane.

Piastri's bid for victory ended with 14 laps remaining when a suspected gearbox problem forced him to stop on track. The retirement triggered a Virtual Safety Car period, which altered the strategy for the remaining podium contenders.

Antonelli strengthens championship hold

Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli finished third, extending his championship lead. Despite starting seventh due to a three-place grid penalty, Antonelli secured his ninth podium in 11 races. He successfully held off Ferrari drivers after the Virtual Safety Car restart, despite running harder tyres while his rivals were on softer compounds.

The result increases Antonelli's lead over Lewis Hamilton to 50 points. Prior to the weekend, Antonelli held a 45-point advantage over Hamilton and a 50-point lead over George Russell following his victory at the Belgian Grand Prix.

Ferrari struggles and Hamilton's penalties

Lewis Hamilton finished fifth after a challenging weekend. Despite qualifying for the front row, Hamilton was demoted to fifth on the grid for impeding Oscar Piastri in Q3. During the race, Ferrari opted to pit Hamilton for soft tyres late in the event, a move that dropped him behind Antonelli.

Hamilton also received a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane, which allowed his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc to move into fourth place. Hamilton expressed frustration over the pit stop, stating I definitely don't think we should have taken the stop and suggesting he likely would have kept at least third place otherwise.

Hamilton admitted his performances have been scruffy since a win in Barcelona in June, citing lots of mistakes and a lot of penalties in the last three races.

Recovery and standings

Max Verstappen finished second after recovering from a difficult race. The Red Bull driver briefly lost a position to Hamilton during the opening pit-stop cycle but regained it with an aggressive overtake. Verstappen noted that while Red Bull struggled for pace compared to McLaren, he didn't expect to be on the podium today.

George Russell, a pre-season favorite, fell to the back of the field after a poor start but managed to recover to finish seventh. Russell stated he will stay positive and keep on pushing in the second half of the season.

The Formula 1 season now enters its mid-season break. The next race is scheduled for the Dutch Grand Prix on August 23.