Norris holds off Piastri in Hungary to take fifth win of season while LeClerc’s Ferrari fades

LANDO Norris claimed his fifth win of the Formula 1 season with a calculated drive at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday, holding off a late charge from McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri in a tense final stint.

Starting third, Norris made a bold one-stop strategy work to perfection, taking the lead in the final phase of the race as polesitter Charles Leclerc and Piastri committed to two-stop plans. While Leclerc’s pace faded, Piastri surged in the closing laps, reducing the gap to within a second but ultimately falling just short, finishing 0.698s behind.

It was a significant result for both Norris and McLaren. The victory marks the team’s 200th in Formula 1 and cuts Piastri’s championship lead to just nine points heading into the summer break.

Leclerc had led early on, fending off Piastri’s undercut attempt during the first round of pit stops, but dropped off as the race progressed. He finished fourth behind George Russell, who claimed third for Mercedes after passing the Ferrari late in the race. Leclerc also received a five-second penalty for erratic driving during that battle.

Fernando Alonso delivered a strong fifth for Aston Martin, with rookie Gabriel Bortoleto continuing his impressive run to take sixth for Kick Sauber. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls), Max Verstappen (Red Bull) and Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) completed the top 10.

Hamilton endured another frustrating afternoon, finishing 12th after contact with Verstappen and failing to score for Ferrari. Pierre Gasly, penalised for a collision with Carlos Sainz, was classified 19th. Ollie Bearman retired with damage.

With 11 wins from 14 races this season, McLaren extended their dominance in the constructors’ standings. Ferrari remain second despite Leclerc’s disappointing result, while Aston Martin moved ahead of Sauber into sixth thanks to their double points finish.

The championship resumes in late August.