Norris wins Hungarian GP

It was another one-two finish for McLaren at the Hungarian Grand Prix after Lando Norris claimed victory on the Hungaroring circuit, finishing less than 3 seconds ahead of last week’s race winner, Oscar Piastri.

With the win, Norris has shortened the gap between him and his teammate to just 9 points, strengthening his championship bid. 

Starting third on the grid, Norris found himself on the back foot after the opening lap. Polesitter Charles Leclerc led away cleanly, while Norris’s attempt to challenge McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri into Turn 1 left him vulnerable.

Both George Russell and Fernando Alonso swept past, dropping Norris back and seemingly setting up a tough afternoon. Norris quickly fought back, repassing Alonso on lap 3, then tailing Russell in fourth as the early stages settled.

The turning point for Norris came with McLaren’s bold decision to commit to a one-stop strategy, contrary to the conventional two-stop plan favoured by most front-runners. 

Norris extended his first stint and pitted later than the rest, emerging with fresher tires for the closing stages. This strategic masterstroke vaulted him ahead as those around him, including Leclerc and Piastri, made their additional stops.

Leclerc, who had controlled much of the race from the front, suffered a dramatic loss of pace in the second half. Despite leading after his stops, he was unable to fend off the McLarens.

Piastri, on a two-stop strategy, passed Leclerc for second, while Norris’s superior tire condition and pace propelled him into a clear lead.

As the laps wound down, Piastri closed in, setting up a tense McLaren duel. With less than a second separating them, the Australian made a daring lunge at Turn 1 on the penultimate lap but locked up and narrowly avoided contact, underscoring the razor-thin margins at play. 

Norris calmly resisted the onslaught, managing tire degradation expertly and driving at what he described as “99% limit” to keep Piastri at bay.

He took the checkered flag with just 0.6 seconds to spare, notching his fifth win of the season and McLaren’s 200th F1 victory, a milestone moment for the team.

Behind the lead duo, George Russell secured third place for Mercedes after a bold, late overtake on Leclerc. Leclerc’s fourth place was marred by a five-second penalty for erratic defending, but it did not affect his finishing order. Alonso finished fifth, giving Aston Martin their strongest result of the year.