Lando Norris secured his first win of the 2026 Formula 1 season by taking victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix this Sunday. The McLaren driver crossed the line 15 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen, while Kimi Antonelli finished on the podium and extended his lead in the standings.
The race at the Hungaroring featured different strategies, lead changes, and a Virtual Safety Car. Norris overcame early difficulties, managed to extend his stints and benefited from Oscar Piastri’s retirement to become the fifth different winner of the year. “My pace today was one of the best I’ve ever had,” the Briton said after returning to the top step of the podium.
Aantonelli launched only seventh after the penalty in qualifying, but fought back and finished third. Mercedes briefly tried a one-stop strategy, but changed plans due to tire wear. As a result, the Italian reached 219 points and opened a 50-point gap over Lewis Hamilton, who dropped to fifth after being penalized for speeding in the pit lane.
Gabriel Bortoleto came very close to scoring again. The Brazilian started 14th, briefly rose to ninth, and finished 11th after losing pace with the tires in the final laps. Nico Hülkenberg finished ninth and scored his first points of the season, lifting Audi to 12 in the Constructors’ Championship.
Away from the track, F1 and the FIA confirmed an unusual calendar solution: the Bahrain Grand Prix will be held in Sepang, Malaysia, from October 2 to 4. The event still depends on final approvals, but will retain the Bahrain name and will be staged between the Azerbaijan and Singapore Grands Prix.
