Lando Norris held firm under relentless late-race pressure from McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri to win a tense and tactical Hungarian Grand Prix, executing a bold one-stop strategy to perfection and slicing into Piastri’s lead in the championship standings.
In what became a dramatic game of tyre conservation versus raw pace, Norris absorbed wave after wave of attacks from the Australian in the final laps – including one heart-stopping lunge into Turn 1 – to secure his fifth victory of the season by just 0.698s, and a milestone 200th win in F1 for McLaren.
Norris’ victory was built not on raw speed, but on strategic nerve. After a lackluster opening phase where he lost ground to both George Russell and Fernando Alonso, Norris made the critical call to switch from the standard two-stop approach – the expected strategy for the rear-limited Hungaroring – to a one-stop.
Initially boxed in at the start, Norris was forced to regroup after slipping behind Alonso and Russell. He dispatched Alonso just two laps later but struggled to overhaul Russell.
Realizing he was unlikely to climb higher on equal strategy, McLaren extended his first stint and brought him in on lap 31 for a hard tyre run to the finish.
Meanwhile, Piastri and polesitter Charles Leclerc committed to two-stoppers. Leclerc controlled the early laps but began to falter as tyre wear set in.
His second stop came on lap 40, followed by Piastri’s on lap 45, giving the Australian fresher rubber for the final push, and a chance to attack Leclerc and, eventually, Norris.
Ferrari’s race began with promise but gradually unraveled. Leclerc, having started from pole and led the first stint, soon found himself in a downward spiral of tyre degradation and tension with his race engineers.
A heated exchange over pre-race preparations boiled over mid-race, with Leclerc snapping over team radio, accusing his engineers for his car “losing competitiveness” as he watched his lead evaporate.
By lap 51, Piastri had reeled him in and made the decisive move for second. Leclerc’s frustrations mounted as he fell out of contention for the win, eventually having to settle for third.
With 15 laps to go, Piastri was nearly nine seconds behind Norris — but with fresher tyres and cleaner air, he began closing the gap in rapid fashion.
Navigating late-race traffic with clinical precision, Piastri closed to within DRS range with five laps remaining.
Lap 68 saw Piastri go for his most aggressive attempt yet, diving to the inside at Turn 1. But a lock-up under braking forced him wide, costing crucial momentum.
Norris, managing tyres on the edge, resisted the pressure with calm precision and maintained just enough grip to deny his teammate on the final lap.
As Norris crossed the line to take victory, he punched the air with relief and satisfaction. The win narrowed the championship gap to Piastri, who despite the narrow loss, extended McLaren’s dominance at the front of the field.
Russell claimed the final step on the podium ahead of Leclerc who certianly expected more his race day efforts. Behind the top four, Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso raked in some solid points for his team while Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto concluded his day a remarkable P6.
Lance Stroll, Liam Lawson, Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli completed the top ten.
While Piastri may rue the missed chance, McLaren will leave Budapest with a commanding 1-2 finish – and a championship battle that just got tighter, with just 9 points separating its two drivers.
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