Lando Norris pips Oscar Piastri for solid win in Hungarian Grand Prix

As the 2025 Formula One season approached its crucial pit stop — the 14th race and final event before the traditional four-week summer break — the Hungarian Grand Prix emerged as a high-stakes arena where every decision could tilt the championship battle. The Hungaroring has long been known for testing patience as much as pace, and this year it became the stage for a weekend of finely balanced strategy and unexpected results.

At the heart of the action was the simmering rivalry between McLaren’s young stars — Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. They have pushed each other to new heights throughout the season, and Budapest was no exception. Having narrowly missed out on victory at Spa just a week earlier, Norris was fired up for redemption.

The Brit perfectly executed a one-stop strategy, much to the dismay of Piastri, the leading McLaren driver who had done the same the previous weekend. In the closing stages, Norris was in total control. He crossed the finish line to take his ninth career victory and, more importantly, cut the championship gap to Piastri down to nine points. With the summer break looming, teams were desperate to take positives away from Budapest. For McLaren, it was a weekend of validation and rising intensity between teammates. In other garages, it was a stark reminder that consistency continues to evade them. And amid it all, unexpected performances from other contenders shook up the status quo.

Unexpected pole and race-day surprises

Saturday’s qualifying session at the Hungaroring brought a shock to the paddock when Charles Leclerc secured pole, outpacing both McLarens. The Monegasque driver’s blistering lap was a rare moment of brilliance for Ferrari this season, made even more remarkable by the incredibly tight margins — just 0.5435 seconds separated the top ten drivers, the closest qualifying session in Formula One history.

Leclerc’s crucial lap caught many by surprise, including the driver himself. “I don’t understand anything in Formula One,” he admitted with a grin, reflecting both the unpredictability of the weekend and the sudden resurgence of Ferrari’s pace. However, the promise of pole position quickly faded on race day. Despite initially defending his lead, Leclerc was hampered by a costly second pit stop that significantly compromised his race. Mechanical issues soon compounded his troubles, forcing him off the podium and leaving Ferrari to rue what might have been.

Surprise, surprise: Charles Leclerc’s pole in qualifying shocked everyone, incuding himself. 
| Photo Credit:
REUTERS

Mercedes, however, quietly capitalised on the opportunities presented by the chaos ahead. George Russell delivered a composed and strategic drive to secure third place on the podium, marking an important result for the Silver Arrows — and giving the Brit a much-needed confidence boost in what has been an up-and-down season.

Meanwhile, Max Verstappen failed to challenge at the front, highlighting concerns about pace and strategy for Red Bull. His ninth-place finish marked a fourth consecutive race without a podium — a statistic almost unthinkable just a season ago. There were plenty of questions around the team’s decisions, but with Verstappen confirming his intention to stay with Red Bull in 2026, the outfit will breathe a little easier.

Adding to the head-turning results were Fernando Alonso and Gabriel Bortoleto. The Spaniard was at the forefront of Aston Martin’s sudden resurgence, while the young Brazilian delivered another positive weekend for the team in transition. Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson also finished ahead of former teammate Verstappen, underscoring just how unpredictable the season has become.

The battle within

In the middle of the turbulence, McLaren played its hand to perfection. The team’s decisive call to keep Norris on worn tyres in the final stint paid off. He knew the closing laps would bring a charging Piastri into his mirrors. The two have been locked in a season-long duel and served up another tense, edge-of-the-seat showdown.

Piastri shadowed Norris through the winding Hungaroring, probing for the smallest mistake, but he absorbed the pressure with clinical precision. When the chequered flag fell, Norris had secured not only his fifth win of the season but also the team’s 200th Formula One victory.

As the summer break begins, McLaren has made it clear that it will let its drivers fight, setting the tone for the second half of the season. The gap between the pair is now small enough for fortunes to change in a single race.

The doors have swung wide open — not just for the championship battle, but for teams up and down the grid searching for their own turning points in the months to come as the season braces for a dramatic final ten rounds.