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Norris impresses in Hungary: McLaren on form as Ferrari falters
Lando Norris signed off the first half of the season with an impressive victory in Hungary, while Ferrari squandered opportunities with critical errors.
By Michael de Vries - 2026-07-26T19:19:43.000Z - 3 min read
Lando Norris claimed victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix, describing the win as one of his best performances to date. It marks a significant turning point for the reigning world champion and his McLaren team after a difficult start to the season. With recent upgrades, the team has finally given Norris a car that aligns with his expectations, an opportunity he exploited to the fullest.
His race was near-flawless, save for a slight mistake at Turn 2 where, after a clean start from pole position, he briefly lost the lead to teammate Oscar Piastri. Despite the challenge of overtaking at the Hungaroring, Norris remained calm. He quickly realized his pace in dirty air was superior to Piastri's, giving him confidence that victory was well within reach.
A strategic move by McLaren around mid-race played a crucial role. Piastri was called in to cover Lewis Hamilton's pit stop, granting Norris clean air to reel off a series of fast laps. Although Piastri might have retained the lead, a collision with a lap-down Carlos Sainz subsequently forced his retirement with a gearbox problem, preventing a potential one-two for McLaren. Piastri's post-race frustration was primarily directed at Sainz rather than team strategy.
Norris attributes his success to a period of hard work and self-analysis. He focused on refining his driving style and better understanding the complexities of the current generation of cars, which he notes demand extensive energy management. Team Principal Andrea Stella confirmed this progress, emphasizing that Norris now displays greater emotional control and deploys his skills more effectively, even under pressure.
Recent updates to the McLaren MP4/20 delivered a substantial performance boost, with a further upgrade scheduled for the Dutch Grand Prix after the summer break. Despite his triumph, Norris remains realistic. He warned against overinflated expectations, stressing that rapid pace in Hungary does not guarantee equal competitiveness at every circuit given the fierce competition.
Ferrari, who looked fastest on Friday, endured a Sunday to forget. Following a disappointing qualifying session and a grid penalty for Hamilton for impeding Piastri, the red cars finished fourth and fifth. Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur admitted that far too many errors were made, from pit stop strategy to defensive driving, costing them valuable points.
For Kimi Antonelli, who finished third, the result preserves his commanding championship lead. By contrast, teammate George Russell endured another frustrating race, plagued by an engine issue that dropped him to the back of the field. Although he recovered well to seventh, the gap to Antonelli continues to widen, and the accumulation of technical failures this season is weighing heavily on Russell.
Following his retirement, Piastri launched a scathing critique of Carlos Sainz, accusing him of a lack of spatial awareness while overtaking. Sainz claimed he was surprised by Piastri's presence and considered the contact unavoidable. A faulty GPS system may have contributed to the confusion, but for Piastri, combined with the gearbox failure, it was a bitter pill that robbed him of a chance at a podium.