Norris Wins at Hungaroring, Antonelli Extends Championship Lead
Lando Norris scored his first win of the season and 12th overall in his career, while Kimi Antonelli extended his World Championship lead to 50 points ahead of Lewis Hamilton.
Lando Norris scored his first win of the season and 12th overall in his career, while Kimi Antonelli extended his World Championship lead to 50 points ahead of Lewis Hamilton.
Lando Norris won the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix, securing his first victory of the season and the 12th triumph of his career. Meanwhile, World Championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) finished third and extended his lead to 50 points ahead of Lewis Hamilton. The race at the Hungaroring was full of dramatic twists, from contacts and penalties to Oscar Piastri's retirement just as he looked like a serious podium contender until lap 56.
Oscar Piastri took the lead on the first lap, capitalizing on a mistake by his teammate Norris in turn three. The Australian held first place until the second round of pit stops, but contact with Carlos Sainz-who was a lapped driver and later penalized-cost him precious seconds. Norris, faster at that point, emerged from the pits ahead of Piastri and never relinquished the lead. On lap 56 of 70, Piastri had to pull over at the side of the track due to a gearbox failure, triggering a virtual safety car and dramatically reshuffling the order.
One of the most exciting episodes of the race was the battle between Max Verstappen (Red Bull) and Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari). On lap 16, Verstappen cut inside at turn one and overtook Hamilton in a move that F1 TV on BlueSky described as 'sensational.' Analyst Chris Medland commented on the same platform: 'Verstappen complained about moving under braking, but it seemed Hamilton was surprised, started to turn in and ultimately had to leave enough room for the Red Bull.' Hamilton spent part of the race behind Verstappen, who slowed him down, but he eventually managed to pass the Dutchman.
Hamilton's troubles didn't end with Verstappen. After Piastri's retirement and a pit stop, Hamilton exited the pits in a duel with Antonelli, but the stewards determined that the Italian was first at the pit exit line. Hamilton had to hand back the position and never managed to pass Antonelli again. Then the seven-time champion received a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane, which cost him fourth place in the final standings. His teammate Charles Leclerc, aware of the penalty, closed to within five seconds and ultimately beat Hamilton by 0.7 seconds in the overall order, taking fourth place.
Norris won ahead of Verstappen, who took second, and Antonelli in third. Leclerc was fourth, Hamilton fifth, Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) sixth with his seventh consecutive top-6 result of the season, and George Russell (Mercedes) seventh-he paid a heavy price for a poor start due to the anti-stall system and spent a long time recovering through the field. The remaining points went to Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls, 8th), Nico Hulkenberg (Audi, 9th), and Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls, 10th).
In the Drivers' World Championship, Antonelli leads with 219 points, Hamilton is second with a 50-point deficit, Russell third with 160 points, Leclerc fourth with 138 points, and Norris fifth with 128 points. The season continues with the Dutch Grand Prix from August 21-23, and both Cadillac drivers, Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez, will have to put aside thoughts of the summer break after both retired-Bottas due to a fire in the front left brake system and Perez due to a broken suspension.
