Lando Norris wins Hungarian Grand Prix, McLaren celebrates 200th F1 victory and tightens championship battle
TOI World Desk | TIMESOFINDIA.COM | Aug 04, 2025, 23:22 IST
( Image credit : AP )
Highlight of the story: Lando Norris won the Hungarian Grand Prix. He narrowly defeated his McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri. This victory marked McLaren's 200th Formula 1 win. Norris's win reduces Piastri's lead in the championship. George Russell secured third position. Max Verstappen finished ninth. Charles Leclerc faced issues with his Ferrari car. The Formula 1 season now takes a four-week summer break.
Lando Norris narrowly held off McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri to win Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix, claiming McLaren’s 200th Formula 1 victory and tightening the gap in the championship standings heading into the midseason break.
In a race defined more by tire strategy and consistent execution than raw speed, Norris prevailed by less than a second over Piastri, who mounted a late challenge but ultimately could not overtake. The result marked McLaren’s fourth consecutive one-two finish and the third time in that stretch Norris took the top step of the podium.
“I’m dead. It was tough,” Norris said over team radio after the race. “The final stint, with Oscar catching, I was pushing flat out.” He later celebrated with a double fist pump on top of his car, as McLaren staff marked the milestone win.
The victory trims Piastri’s lead in the drivers’ standings to nine points, down from 16, as both McLaren drivers continue their internal title battle. The performance also underscores McLaren’s growing dominance, with its drivers executing markedly different strategies.
Norris made only one pit stop after briefly falling to fifth on the opening lap, managing tire degradation on a track known for limited overtaking. Piastri opted for a two-stop strategy aimed initially at overtaking Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, whose pace ultimately faded. Piastri closed in during the final laps but locked up a wheel attempting a pass on the penultimate lap, allowing Norris to retain his lead.
“It wasn’t obvious that we just had enough pace to blow past [Leclerc],” Piastri told Sky Sports. “For Lando, there was virtually nothing to lose by trying a one-stop race. For myself, potentially there was.”
George Russell of Mercedes rounded out the podium in third after overtaking Leclerc late in the race. Leclerc received a time penalty for nearly colliding with Russell while defending position.
Reigning champion Max Verstappen, who has struggled with pace throughout the weekend, finished a disappointing ninth. He remains third in the championship, now 97 points behind leader Piastri — a gap that places his title defense in serious jeopardy.
Ferrari’s day was marred by missed opportunities and miscommunication. Leclerc, who started from pole position, finished fourth and initially blamed the team for the car’s deteriorating performance. Post-race, he acknowledged that a chassis issue, discovered after the race, likely contributed to the decline.
“This is so incredibly frustrating. We’ve lost all competitiveness,” Leclerc said over the radio during the race. He later walked back the remarks, telling Sky Sports, “I spoke too quickly, I guess.”
Elsewhere, Fernando Alonso delivered Aston Martin’s best finish of the season with fifth, capitalizing on a track layout well-suited to the team’s car. Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto surprised with a sixth-place finish, followed by Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll in seventh. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls), Verstappen (Red Bull), and Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) completed the top 10.
Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, endured another difficult outing in his first season with Ferrari, finishing 12th — the same position in which he qualified. A day after calling himself “useless” and suggesting Ferrari might consider replacing him, Hamilton remained cryptic about internal issues.
“There’s a lot going on in the background that is not great,” he said in a post-race interview with Sky Sports. He declined to elaborate.
The Formula 1 season now pauses for a four-week summer break. The next race is scheduled for the Dutch Grand Prix on Aug. 25, where title rivals Norris and Piastri will continue their tightly contested battle.
In a race defined more by tire strategy and consistent execution than raw speed, Norris prevailed by less than a second over Piastri, who mounted a late challenge but ultimately could not overtake. The result marked McLaren’s fourth consecutive one-two finish and the third time in that stretch Norris took the top step of the podium.
“I’m dead. It was tough,” Norris said over team radio after the race. “The final stint, with Oscar catching, I was pushing flat out.” He later celebrated with a double fist pump on top of his car, as McLaren staff marked the milestone win.
The victory trims Piastri’s lead in the drivers’ standings to nine points, down from 16, as both McLaren drivers continue their internal title battle. The performance also underscores McLaren’s growing dominance, with its drivers executing markedly different strategies.
Norris made only one pit stop after briefly falling to fifth on the opening lap, managing tire degradation on a track known for limited overtaking. Piastri opted for a two-stop strategy aimed initially at overtaking Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, whose pace ultimately faded. Piastri closed in during the final laps but locked up a wheel attempting a pass on the penultimate lap, allowing Norris to retain his lead.
“It wasn’t obvious that we just had enough pace to blow past [Leclerc],” Piastri told Sky Sports. “For Lando, there was virtually nothing to lose by trying a one-stop race. For myself, potentially there was.”
George Russell of Mercedes rounded out the podium in third after overtaking Leclerc late in the race. Leclerc received a time penalty for nearly colliding with Russell while defending position.
Reigning champion Max Verstappen, who has struggled with pace throughout the weekend, finished a disappointing ninth. He remains third in the championship, now 97 points behind leader Piastri — a gap that places his title defense in serious jeopardy.
Ferrari’s day was marred by missed opportunities and miscommunication. Leclerc, who started from pole position, finished fourth and initially blamed the team for the car’s deteriorating performance. Post-race, he acknowledged that a chassis issue, discovered after the race, likely contributed to the decline.
“This is so incredibly frustrating. We’ve lost all competitiveness,” Leclerc said over the radio during the race. He later walked back the remarks, telling Sky Sports, “I spoke too quickly, I guess.”
Elsewhere, Fernando Alonso delivered Aston Martin’s best finish of the season with fifth, capitalizing on a track layout well-suited to the team’s car. Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto surprised with a sixth-place finish, followed by Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll in seventh. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls), Verstappen (Red Bull), and Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) completed the top 10.
Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, endured another difficult outing in his first season with Ferrari, finishing 12th — the same position in which he qualified. A day after calling himself “useless” and suggesting Ferrari might consider replacing him, Hamilton remained cryptic about internal issues.
“There’s a lot going on in the background that is not great,” he said in a post-race interview with Sky Sports. He declined to elaborate.
The Formula 1 season now pauses for a four-week summer break. The next race is scheduled for the Dutch Grand Prix on Aug. 25, where title rivals Norris and Piastri will continue their tightly contested battle.