Norris secures victory in Hungary, Verstappen and Antonelli complete podium

July 26, 2026
6 min read

By Aditya Bose — 26 July 2026 — 4 min read

Lando Norris secured his first Grand Prix victory of 2026 at the Hungarian Grand Prix, driving for McLaren. He finished ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli. The race saw significant mid-race events and the retirement of Norris’s teammate, Oscar Piastri.

Norris, who started from pole position, spent the initial part of the race behind Piastri. Piastri had taken the lead at Turn 2 on the opening lap and maintained it, despite Norris’s requests for McLaren to allow him to pass. The internal team battle shifted after Piastri’s second pit stop when he made contact with Carlos Sainz of Williams while encountering traffic, leading to a penalty for Sainz.

This incident, combined with Norris’s strong performance in clear air before his own second stop, helped him gain an advantage. Piastri’s race concluded with an apparent gearbox problem, forcing his retirement from the event.

Race Dynamics and Key Incidents

A Virtual Safety Car (VSC) was deployed following Piastri’s stoppage, which led to further pit lane activity. Verstappen and Antonelli opted to stay out on track, securing second and third positions respectively. The Ferrari duo of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, who made three stops, finished behind them.

Hamilton initially emerged ahead of Antonelli after his final stop but had to concede the position. Replays indicated that he had crossed the relevant VSC white line just behind Antonelli’s Mercedes. Hamilton also received a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane, which affected his chances of a podium finish. Leclerc moved ahead of Hamilton for P4 after the penalty was applied.

Isack Hadjar secured sixth place for Red Bull, while George Russell finished P7 after a challenging start to the race. Russell dropped as low as 21st due to his anti-stall system activating. Racing Bulls had both Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad finish in the points, in eighth and 10th place, sandwiching Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg. Hulkenberg’s teammate, Gabriel Bortoleto, finished 11th, just outside the points.

Aston Martin showed an improved performance with their updated cars, with Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso finishing P13 and P14. They were positioned between the Alpine cars of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto, and also finished ahead of both Haas and Williams cars.

Qualifying and Early Stages

Norris had secured pole position at the Hungaroring circuit by a narrow margin over Hamilton, with Leclerc in third and championship leader Antonelli in fourth. However, both Hamilton and Antonelli received three-place grid penalties from the stewards. Hamilton was penalised for impeding Piastri, and Antonelli for failing to slow sufficiently under yellow flags.

This meant Norris started from the front, followed by Leclerc, Piastri, and Verstappen. Hamilton was demoted to fifth, and Antonelli to seventh. Sergio Perez moved from the back of the grid to the pit lane due to setup changes.

At the start, Norris made a clean getaway, maintaining his lead. Piastri overtook Leclerc to follow Norris into the first corner. Verstappen engaged in a close battle with the two Ferraris. Piastri then took the lead from Norris at Turn 2, with Hamilton also passing Leclerc for fourth.

Russell experienced a difficult start, falling from sixth to 21st. As the race progressed, Piastri held a lead of just over a second from Norris, with Verstappen, Hamilton, and Leclerc following. Antonelli was in sixth, having moved up a place due to Russell’s poor start.

During the race, Verstappen expressed dissatisfaction with his car over the radio. Hamilton continued to pursue Verstappen, but despite several attempts, he could not find a way past. McLaren also communicated with their drivers, with Norris indicating he was faster than Piastri and struggling with dirty air.

Hamilton made the first front-running pit stop on Lap 14, switching to hard tyres. Verstappen responded on Lap 15, also moving to hards. Piastri and Leclerc pitted on Lap 17, followed by Norris on the next lap. Antonelli continued for a few more laps before also pitting, suggesting a two-stop strategy.

Piastri reclaimed the lead but faced pressure from Norris. Verstappen gradually fell back into third. The day’s first retirement occurred when Valtteri Bottas reported smoke in the cockpit, attributed to overheating brakes. Perez also failed to finish due to an issue at the front-left of his car.

Piastri’s retirement on Lap 56, due to a gearbox failure, led to a late VSC. This intensified the battles behind Norris, who remained in the lead. Verstappen’s team made a strategic decision to fit soft tyres during his second pit stop, which helped him secure second place.

Hamilton’s race was further impacted by penalties, including the pit lane speeding infringement and a previous penalty for blocking Piastri in qualifying. Aston Martin, despite not scoring points, showed positive signs with their car upgrades. A Honda engine upgrade is anticipated for the Dutch Grand Prix, the next race in four weeks.

The next event on the Formula 1 calendar is the Dutch Grand Prix, scheduled from 21-23 August.