Piastri wins Hungarian Grand Prix amidst McLaren intra-team drama
BUDAPEST, Hungary — Oscar Piastri claimed his debut Grand Prix victory in a thrilling Hungarian Grand Prix marked by intra-team drama at McLaren. Teammate Lando Norris was slow to respond to team orders to relinquish the lead back to Piastri after an advantageous pit-stop strategy initially put the Briton ahead.
The race began with a dramatic three-abreast start involving both McLaren drivers and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, with Piastri emerging as the leader into Turn 1. Piastri maintained the lead for much of the race, but when Norris was pitted first during the second round of stops – seemingly to cover off Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton – he emerged ahead of his teammate.
McLaren subsequently issued multiple calls for Norris to give the position back to Piastri, an order Norris appeared hesitant to follow. It wasn’t until Lap 68 of 70 that Norris slowed down and allowed Piastri to pass.
Piastri, 23, went on to secure his win, finishing two seconds ahead of Norris. Lewis Hamilton took the final podium spot in third for Mercedes, overcoming his own drama after contact with Max Verstappen during a late-race duel.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was fourth, while Verstappen dropped to fifth and faces an investigation by the stewards for his collision with Hamilton. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz secured sixth, followed by Red Bull’s Sergio Perez who recovered impressively from a P16 start.
George Russell, starting from P17, secured points by finishing eighth. RB’s Yuki Tsunoda and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll completed the top-10.
Fernando Alonso narrowly missed out on a top-10 finish, coming in P11 for Aston Martin. Daniel Ricciardo had a disappointing day, finishing P12 despite starting P9 on the grid.
Nico Hulkenberg finished 13th for Haas, with Alex Albon and Kevin Magnussen following for Williams and Haas, respectively. Valtteri Bottas ended the day in P16 for Sauber, with Williams’ Logan Sargeant behind in P17.
Alpine endured a tough weekend, with Esteban Ocon finishing P18 and Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu the final classified runner in P19. Pierre Gasly became the race's sole retiree due to a suspected hydraulic leak in his Alpine.
The Hungarian GP will be remembered not just for Oscar Piastri’s maiden win but also for the tense intra-team dynamics at McLaren that unfolded in the final moments of this thrilling race.
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