Lando Norris Holds Off Oscar Piastri to Win Hungarian Grand Prix for McLaren

Writing Time: August 04, 2025, 14:00 (U.S. Eastern Time)

In a strategic and hard-fought race, McLaren’s Lando Norris claimed victory at the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix, narrowly beating teammate Oscar Piastri in a thrilling final-lap showdown. The result marked McLaren’s 200th Formula 1 win and a fourth consecutive 1-2 finish for the team.

Norris, now within nine points of Piastri in the championship standings, delivered a composed and calculated drive that highlighted both tactical acumen and mental resilience.

Strategic Victory for Norris in Tight McLaren Battle

The Hungarian Grand Prix, held on the technical and overtaking-limited Hungaroring circuit in Budapest, is often determined by strategy rather than pure pace—and this year’s edition was no exception.

Norris briefly dropped to fifth on the opening lap but managed to make a one-stop tire strategy work to perfection. In contrast, Piastri pitted twice, aiming to undercut Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who faded later in the race.

Despite fresher tires, Piastri couldn’t find a clean way past his teammate in the final laps. A critical moment came on the penultimate lap when Piastri locked up attempting an overtake, nearly making contact with Norris, but the Briton held firm to claim the win.

“I’m dead. It was tough, it was tough,” Norris said in his post-race remarks. “The final stint, with Oscar catching, I was pushing flat out.”

A Redemption Drive After 2024’s Controversial Finish

The result marked a form of redemption for Norris, who last year lost to Piastri in Hungary under controversial circumstances involving confusing team radio calls. This time, there was no ambiguity—the race was decided purely on track.

“Good racing. Good strategy. Good call,” Norris said over team radio, summarizing his view of McLaren’s performance and his execution.

Piastri acknowledged the different tire strategies played a key role: “It wasn’t obvious we had enough pace to blow past Leclerc. For Lando, there was virtually nothing to lose by trying a one-stop race. For myself, potentially there was.”

Russell Claims Third for Mercedes as Leclerc Fades

George Russell completed the podium for Mercedes, fighting past Leclerc late in the race. The Ferrari driver, who started from pole, incurred a time penalty for nearly causing a collision with Russell during a defensive maneuver.

Leclerc’s frustration was clear over team radio during the race. “This is so incredibly frustrating. We’ve lost all competitiveness,” he said. Post-race, he told Sky Sports that the car had a chassis issue unknown to him during the race, partially explaining his drop in performance.

Ferrari remains without a Grand Prix win in the 2025 season.

Verstappen Off-Pace in Difficult Weekend

Defending world champion Max Verstappen had another disappointing outing, finishing ninth after struggling for pace throughout the weekend. Starting well down the order and never looking competitive, Verstappen now sits 97 points behind championship leader Piastri.

His faint hopes of defending the title are quickly diminishing as McLaren continues to dominate the midfield and front grid battles.

Hamilton’s Season Continues to Disappoint

Lewis Hamilton, still adapting to life at Ferrari in what has become a turbulent debut season with the Italian team, ended the race in 12th place, failing to score points.

A day after calling himself “useless” during qualifying, Hamilton offered cryptic post-race comments: “There’s a lot going on in the background that is not great,” he told Sky Sports, declining to elaborate.

He was also forced off-track by Verstappen during one on-track battle, underscoring the ongoing intensity of their rivalry—even as both men were out of podium contention.

Alonso and Aston Martin Shine on Slower Circuit

Fernando Alonso delivered Aston Martin’s best result of the season, finishing fifth on a track that favored the team’s chassis setup. Teammate Lance Stroll came home in seventh, marking a strong double-points finish for the team.

Rookie Gabriel Bortoleto impressed with a surprise sixth-place result for Sauber, while Liam Lawson took eighth for Racing Bulls. Kimi Antonelli, racing for Mercedes, rounded out the points in tenth.

Championship Outlook and Midseason Reset

With four consecutive 1-2 finishes, McLaren has firmly established itself as the dominant team heading into the midseason break. The Hungarian Grand Prix results tighten the battle between Norris and Piastri at the top of the driver standings, with only nine points now separating them.

For teams like Ferrari and Red Bull, the four-week pause presents an opportunity to reassess strategies and address technical inconsistencies that have derailed their seasons.

The 2025 Formula 1 season resumes in late August with the Belgian Grand Prix, where track characteristics and potential weather conditions could once again shake up the pecking order.