Formula One champion Lando Norris won the Hungarian Grand Prix for McLaren’s first victory of the season on Sunday while Mercedes’s Kimi Antonelli extended his overall lead to 50 points.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was second with Antonelli third after a likely McLaren one-two evaporated when Oscar Piastri pulled over with a mechanical failure 14 laps from the end at the Hungaroring.
Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, Antonelli’s closest title rival, finished fourth on track but dropped to fifth behind teammate Charles Leclerc after a five-second post-race penalty for speeding in the pitlane.
“My pace today was probably some of the best pace I’ve ever had,” Norris said.
“The car was beautiful to drive and I felt very confident, so a great race.
“I’m just happy to be back and see the number one again.”
Mercedes’s George Russell finished seventh, after a disastrous start that dropped him to 19th, and remained third in the overall standings but 59 points behind his 19-year-old Italian teammate.
The win from pole position was Norris’s 12th victory, and second in a row in Hungary, but it could have been Piastri’s day after the Australian took the lead on the opening lap from third place on the starting grid.
His chances took a literal blow when a collision with back-marker Carlos Sainz’s Williams delayed him enough to allow Norris, who had stayed out longer before a second change of tyres, to pit and come out ahead.
Piastri’s retirement triggered a virtual safety car, with Norris and the Ferrari drivers pitting while Verstappen and Antonelli stayed out.
“I didn’t expect to be on the podium today. But we worked hard for it,” Verstappen said.
He lost out to Hamilton after the first pitstop but took the place back with a bold overtake a lap later.
“I saw the opportunity. It was my only one. I just went for it,” the four-time world champion said.
“We’re good on the brakes, so that helped, but it was all under control.”
Antonelli had started seventh after a three-place grid penalty but completed a day of damage limitation better than might have been expected.
“It was really hard to overtake so we had to do something with strategy,” the Italian said.
“Initially we tried to go for the one stop, but then they told me the tyre was too much on the limit, so we stopped.
“With the virtual safety car, the two Ferraris boxed. I knew it would be very hard because I was on hards, they were on softs, but luckily we were able to keep them behind.”
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