Norris capitalises on Piastri heartbreak to clinch Hungarian Grand Prix victory

Lando Norris claimed his first grand prix win of the season at the Hungarian Grand Prix, inheriting the lead from McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri before converting it into victory as a late gearbox failure denied the team a dominant one-two finish.

The Briton, who started from pole at the Hungaroring, briefly lost the lead to Piastri at the start but recovered to the front and controlled the race to take the chequered flag. It was his second successive Hungarian Grand Prix win and made him the fifth different driver to triumph in the last five grands prix.

Piastri had been running a secure second behind Norris when his McLaren suffered a gearbox problem with 15 laps remaining, forcing him into retirement and ending the team’s hopes of locking out the top two positions.

Max Verstappen finished second for Red Bull, equalling his best result of the season at the end of what had been a challenging weekend for the defending constructors’ champions.

Antonelli strengthens title advantage

Championship leader Kimi Antonelli completed the podium in third place, extending his advantage in the standings despite starting only seventh on the grid.

Antonelli had been hit with a three-place grid penalty in qualifying on Saturday, dropping him down the order for Sunday’s race. However, the Italian produced a composed drive through the field to secure another strong points haul and stretch his lead in the championship battle.

His third-place finish moves him 50 points clear of Lewis Hamilton, who endured a frustrating afternoon for Ferrari.

Hamilton penalised as Leclerc benefits

Hamilton began the race from fourth but slipped to fifth at the finish after receiving a five-second time penalty for speeding in the pit lane.

That sanction promoted teammate Charles Leclerc to fourth, the Monegasque benefiting directly as the penalty was applied after the race, reversing the Ferrari pair’s on-track positions.

Norris, who will enter 2025 as reigning world champion, also added to his earlier success this year, having won the sprint race in Miami in May. However, this was his first full grand prix victory since he took the flag in Sao Paulo last November.

The result continued a strong run of form for McLaren, underlining their competitiveness at the front of the field even as reliability issues curtailed Piastri’s race.

Summer break before season resumes

The Hungarian Grand Prix marked the final race before Formula 1’s summer shutdown.

Following the break, the season will resume with the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort on 23 August, where Antonelli will defend his 50-point cushion at the top of the standings and Norris will look to build on his return to the top step of the podium.