Norris delivers McLaren’s first 2026 win in Hungary

Formula One world champion Lando Norris secured McLaren’s first victory of the 2026 season at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday, winning from pole position after teammate Oscar Piastri’s challenge ended with a gearbox failure.

Norris crossed the line 15.080 seconds ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, with Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli taking third at the Hungaroring. The result gave Norris his 12th career victory and a second consecutive win in Hungary.

Antonelli’s third-place finish extended his lead in the drivers’ championship to 50 points over Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton. George Russell remained third in the standings, 59 points behind his Mercedes teammate.

Norris described his race pace as among the strongest of his career, adding: “The car was beautiful to drive.”

Piastri loses lead before gearbox failure

Piastri started third but passed Norris at Turn Two on the opening lap and remained ahead during the first round of pit stops.

The Australian’s race changed when he made contact with Carlos Sainz’s Williams while trying to lap the Spaniard. The delay allowed Norris, who stayed out for several additional laps, to build enough of an advantage to make his second stop and rejoin ahead of his teammate.

Norris then increased his lead before Piastri pulled off the circuit with an apparent gearbox problem 14 laps from the finish, ending McLaren’s prospects of a one-two result.

Piastri’s retirement brought out a virtual safety car. Norris stopped while retaining the lead, but Verstappen and Antonelli stayed on the track and moved into the remaining podium positions.

Verstappen had earlier lost a position to Hamilton following the first pit-stop phase but reclaimed it with an overtake one lap later. The four-time world champion finished 3.648 seconds ahead of Antonelli.

Hamilton penalty changes Ferrari order

Hamilton finished fourth on the track but received a five-second penalty for exceeding the pit-lane speed limit during his third stop under virtual safety-car conditions.

The penalty, imposed after he exceeded the limit by 0.1 kilometres per hour, dropped him behind Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc to fifth. Hamilton had already received a three-place grid penalty for impeding Piastri during qualifying.

Antonelli had also started three places lower than his qualifying position after failing to slow sufficiently under yellow flags. Starting seventh, the Italian initially attempted a one-stop strategy before Mercedes decided his tyres would not last to the finish.

The virtual safety car then worked in his favour as the Ferrari drivers stopped for soft tyres. Antonelli remained on hard tyres and held them off to secure third place.

Isack Hadjar finished sixth for Red Bull, while Russell recovered to seventh after an opening-lap problem dropped him to 19th.

Racing Bulls drivers Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad finished eighth and 10th respectively, with Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg ninth.

After 11 races, Antonelli leads the championship with 219 points, followed by Hamilton on 169 and Russell on 160. Norris is fifth with 128 points.