Lando Norris took the Hungarian Grand Prix after a race where strategies and pit stops dictated the development of the 70 laps. Max Verstappen finished second after a successful bet by Red Bull, while Kimi Antonelli completed the podium.
The Hungarian Grand Prix once again demonstrated why the Hungaroring is one of the most difficult circuits to overtake. In a race held under intense heat, with track temperatures reaching 52 degrees at the start, strategies, undercuts and decisions from the pit wall ended up being much more important than overtakes on track.
Lando Norris was the one who best took advantage of this context to achieve his first victory of the 2026 season and return McLaren to the top of the podium. The reigning world champion repeated the success achieved last year in Budapest and gave the British team its first win of the championship, also extending a streak that began with Oscar Piastri's triumph in 2024 and continued with Norris's own in 2025.
The pre-race had already undergone significant changes. Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli received three-place grid penalties, so the Ferrari driver started the race from fifth place. At the same time, the championship leader had to do so from seventh position.
When the lights went out, Norris made an excellent start, although the one who quickly took the lead was Oscar Piastri. Charles Leclerc, on the other hand, did not have the start he expected and lost several positions in the first meters. Another incident occurred with George Russell, who suffered an anti-stall problem at the start. The Briton practically stopped and fell to the back of the pack while all his rivals took advantage to overtake him.
From the pit lane, another situation also arose that will be analyzed by the stewards. Sergio Pérez came under investigation for possible irregularities in his pit lane start procedure.
With the race stabilized, attention began to focus on strategy. Most drivers had chosen the medium tire for the first stint, although the high temperatures accelerated wear much more than expected.
One of the first to suffer that problem was Lewis Hamilton. On lap 12, the Briton reported over the radio that Max Verstappen was driving very slowly in front of him, although he never found the necessary space to complete the overtake.
The first pit stops began to change the picture. Verstappen and Hamilton were among the first frontrunners to pit to fit hard tires, clearly betting on the undercut. The choice drew attention, as practically no team had tested that compound during Friday's practice, but it ended up becoming one of the strategic keys of the day.
The race offered one of its most interesting moments around lap 18. The different strategies brought together Hadjar, Piastri, Norris, Verstappen and Hamilton in the same group. The French driver remained on track without stopping and, indirectly, favored his teammate's race by holding up the rest of the group. While all of them fought for position, Kimi Antonelli took advantage to temporarily take the lead thanks to a different strategy, waiting for a Safety Car or a neutralization that never came.
The Italian's bet ended on lap 23, when tire wear forced him to pit. With that, Piastri regained first place, and the race settled back down.
As the laps went by, it became clear that the hard compound offered much better performance than expected. The decision to use it without prior references ended up marking much of the race's development and allowed several teams to extend their stints more comfortably.
Another important moment came when Alexander Albon, already a backmarker, had an incident while fighting with Fernando Alonso. The Williams driver did not facilitate the pass for Oscar Piastri, who had just come out of the pits, and both ended up touching. The maneuver directly benefited Lando Norris, who took advantage of his teammate's time loss to assume the race lead. For that action, Albon received a five second penalty.
The outcome changed again on lap 51, when Sergio Pérez had to retire due to a left front suspension problem. Five laps later came the episode that ended up defining the Grand Prix. Oscar Piastri suffered a gearbox problem and stopped on track, causing a Virtual Safety Car.
The neutralization allowed practically all front runners to make a final stop to fit fresh tires. The only one who decided to stay on track was Max Verstappen. Red Bull bet on keeping position and that strategy ended up giving the Dutchman a valuable second place.
In the final laps, there was still time for one last controversy. Lewis Hamilton overtook Kimi Antonelli at the pit exit, but had to immediately return the position, considering that the Italian had come out ahead at the pit lane exit line. That action proved decisive for the championship leader to secure the third step of the podium.
The Ferrari driver also did not have a simple weekend from a disciplinary point of view. In addition to the three-place penalty he had received before the race, he was penalized with five seconds for speeding in the pit lane, thus adding his third consecutive race with penalties. Oliver Bearman also received a five-second penalty for ignoring blue flags.
The checkered flag confirmed Lando Norris's return to victory. Max Verstappen, thanks to Red Bull's strategy, finished second, while Kimi Antonelli once again climbed onto the podium and extended his lead at the front of the championship.
Although the Hungaroring once again offered few overtaking opportunities, the race maintained interest thanks to the different strategies, the undercuts, and tire management under extreme conditions. McLaren celebrated in Budapest for the third consecutive year and, with this result, regained confidence for the second half of a season that promises to remain open in the fight for victories.
