Lando Norris produced a gutsy drive to win the Hungarian Grand Prix on a one-stop strategy, edging out McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri in a tense final-lap showdown that reignited the Formula One title race heading into the August break.
Norris, starting third on the grid behind Piastri and polesitter Charles Leclerc, dropped to fifth after being squeezed early on but made up ground with a bold 39-lap stint on hard tyres. The Briton managed to hold off a charging Piastri, who had fresher tyres after a two-stop strategy, by just 0.6 seconds at the chequered flag.
“It was tough… I’m dead,” Norris said over the radio, exhausted after sealing his fifth win of the season – and third in the last four races. “We weren’t planning on the one-stop, but after lap one, it was our only option.”
McLaren’s dominance continued with a seventh one-two finish in just 14 races, as the reigning constructors’ champions tightened their grip at the top. Piastri still leads the drivers’ standings, but Norris has cut the gap to just nine points with eight races remaining.
George Russell completed the podium for Mercedes, finishing over 20 seconds behind the leading pair. It was the Briton’s fifth podium of the season, and a much-needed result for the team after a string of underwhelming performances.
Leclerc finished a frustrated fourth for Ferrari. Having started on pole, his race was compromised by a two-stop strategy and a five-second penalty for erratic defending against Russell. Teammate Lewis Hamilton, an eight-time winner in Hungary, had a weekend to forget starting and finishing 12th, and being lapped six laps before the end.
Fernando Alonso claimed fifth for Aston Martin, followed by Sauber rookie Gabriel Bortoleto in sixth – his best finish to date. Lance Stroll secured more points in seventh, ahead of Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli rounded out the top ten.