Norris cruises to Hungarian GP win as Piastri retires and Hamilton penalty hands Antonelli extra points
Lando Norris secured his first win of the 2026 Formula 1 season at the Hungaroring, capitalising on teammate Oscar Piastri's gearbox failure and a late-race penalty that dropped Lewis Hamilton to fifth.
Norris takes control after Piastri's misfortune
Lando Norris crossed the finish line first at the Hungaroring to claim his maiden win of the 2026 season, the 11th round of the Formula 1 World Championship. The McLaren driver started from pole but was overtaken by teammate Oscar Piastri into turn 2 on the opening lap. Piastri then led until a sequence of incidents derailed his race. While lapping Carlos Sainz's Williams, the Australian made contact with the Spaniard, and shortly afterwards his car suffered a gearbox failure that forced him out of podium contention. Norris inherited the lead and pulled away unchallenged, with Max Verstappen's Red Bull finishing second, about 15 seconds behind.
Verstappen and Hamilton duel for third
The fight for the final podium spot was the most dramatic element of the race. Lewis Hamilton, starting on soft tyres, pressured Verstappen in the early laps but could not find a way past the Red Bull, which Verstappen described as difficult to drive. On lap 14, Hamilton attempted an undercut by pitting early, a move that initially paid off as he emerged ahead of Verstappen once the Dutchman stopped a lap later. But Verstappen retaliated immediately: on lap 16 he reclaimed the position with a decisive overtake that Hamilton was unable to defend. The seven-time champion's frustration was audible on the team radio.
Max is very slow.
Hamilton later crossed the line fourth, but received a penalty for exceeding the pit-lane speed limit, demoting him to fifth behind Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc. The penalty also cost the team valuable points, leaving Ferrari without a podium despite pre-race expectations of being the fastest car.
- Piastri passes Norris into turn 2 to take the lead
- FIA investigates Alonso's pass on Bearman, no penalty issued
- Hamilton pits early, attempting an undercut on Verstappen
- Verstappen stops a lap later, rejoins narrowly behind Hamilton
- Verstappen overtakes Hamilton to reclaim third place
Antonelli quietly extends championship lead
Kimi Antonelli, the championship leader, started seventh and steadily moved up the order as others stumbled. The Italian driver inherited third place after Piastri's retirement and Hamilton's penalty, securing his fifth podium of the season and widening his advantage at the top of the standings. George Russell, who had a poor start due to an anti-stall issue, recovered to finish seventh, further consolidating Mercedes' position in the constructors' fight.
Alonso and Sainz: 14th and 19th
Fernando Alonso gained one position at the start, passing Oliver Bearman into 15th place, and was briefly investigated by the stewards for the move before it was deemed clean. He eventually finished 14th, a result that, while modest, reflected an improved performance from the Aston Martin package. Carlos Sainz, after also gaining a spot on the opening lap, fell back as the race progressed and was classified 19th and last, having been involved in the incident that contributed to Piastri's race-ending damage.
Ferrari's day of errors
Ferrari's hopes of a strong result were undone by a combination of missteps. The team opted to pit both cars under a virtual safety car, a strategic call that backfired and left Hamilton and Leclerc unable to challenge the McLarens or Verstappen. Hamilton's pit-lane speeding sanction compounded the frustration, while Leclerc, who had started second on the front row, dropped to finish off the podium. After eleven races, the Scuderia's wait for a victory continues.
