Norris Clinches Dramatic Hungarian GP as McLaren Seal 1-2 Finish
Lando Norris Clinches Thrilling Victory Against Oscar Piastri at Hungarian Grand Prix
BUDAPEST, Hungary -- Lando Norris seized a thrilling victory over McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri at the Hungarian Grand Prix in a pulsating duel that went right down to the wire. The battle on the narrow and twisting Hungaroring circuit concluded on Lap 69 of 70, with Norris holding off a charging Piastri by the slimmest of margins to lead the team’s historic 1-2 finish.
The nail-biting finale saw Piastri, benefiting from fresher tires, launch a late bid for the lead on the pit straight. The Australian driver approached Turn 1 neck-and-neck with Norris and attempted a daring move under braking, locking a tire but narrowly avoiding contact. Norris, however, firmly shut the door and retained his position to claim his second win of the season.
Contrasting Strategies Fuel the Drama
The two McLaren drivers found themselves on divergent strategies that built up to the spectacular finish. A one-stop strategy for Norris, who had dropped to fifth on the opening lap, proved decisive, while Piastri was given fresher tires late in the race following a two-stop approach.
As the laps counted down, Piastri erased a 10-second deficit with relentless speed, bringing himself within striking distance in the final few laps. Despite his valiant efforts, a frustrated Piastri had to settle for second place.
“I’m dead. I’m dead. It was tough,” Norris confessed. “We weren’t really planning on the one-stop, but after the first lap, it was kind of our only option to get back into things. The final stint, with Oscar catching me, I was pushing flat out... [it was] rewarding even more because of that. The perfect result today.”
Piastri was equally reflective post-race: “I pushed as hard as I could. After I saw Lando going for a one-stop, I knew I was going to have to overtake on track, which is much easier said than done around here. It was a gamble either way. Today, unfortunately, we were just on the wrong side of it.
“The team did a great job; the car came alive in the second half of the race.”
Leclerc and Russell Clash in the Midfield
The race had initially seemed poised for Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who started from pole position and led comfortably early on, but strategy and tire degradation would unravel hopes of a strong finish. While McLaren engineered a perfect undercut for Piastri to challenge Leclerc after the first round of stops, the Ferrari team barely kept their driver ahead.
Norris, meanwhile, emerged as the primary threat by stretching his first stint and committing to a one-stop. A Lap 30 pit stop allowed him to leapfrog the front-runners as Leclerc and Piastri pitted within a few laps of each other. By Lap 40, Norris was firmly in control, while Piastri’s fresh tires helped him dispatch Leclerc on Lap 51, setting up the all-McLaren showdown.
Leclerc’s struggles culminated in a dramatic loss of third place to George Russell on Lap 63, who surged up the inside at Turn 1. The move came with added controversy, as Leclerc squeezed Russell to the inside line and was subsequently handed a five-second time penalty. The Ferrari driver’s frustrations mounted as he was unable to challenge, leaving him in fourth place after the penalty.
Aston Martin and Red Bull Falter
Elsewhere, Fernando Alonso delivered another consistent drive for Aston Martin, securing fifth place ahead of Brazilian rookie Gabriel Bortoleto, who dazzled with a career-best sixth place. Lance Stroll followed his teammate in seventh.
Max Verstappen, struggling all weekend with Red Bull’s unexpectedly poor pace, could only manage a disappointing ninth place, one spot behind AlphaTauri’s Liam Lawson.
The final point of the day went to Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes in what was a subdued race for the Silver Arrows. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton—racing for Ferrari this season—endured a frustrating weekend, starting and finishing in 12th position without ever threatening the points-scoring positions.
A Summer Break Ahead of the Netherlands
With McLaren’s commanding performance at the Hungaroring, the team celebrated their landmark 200th Formula 1 victory. The result also tightened the championship race, as Piastri leads Norris by only nine points heading into the summer break.
Formula 1 action resumes on August 31, with the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort promising another chapter in what has been a thrilling season thus far.
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