The last race before the summer break of the Formula 1 ended with a bitter-sweet joy for McLaren. On one hand, Lando Norris took the Hungarian Grand Prix and secured his first victory of the season, however, the British team lost a potential double podium due to Oscar Piastri's retirement, who led a good part of the race until suffering a gearbox failure. Behind the world champion finished Max Verstappen and Andrea Kimi Antonelli, while Franco Colapinto closed a complicated weekend with a 15th place for Alpine.
The competition started with a great launch from McLaren. Norris took the lead in the first corner, although just a few meters later Piastri overtook him to take the lead. Behind them settled Verstappen, followed by the Ferraris of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, in a start that also featured George Russell, who fell from sixth to 19th place.
Piastri managed the lead during the first part of the race, although strategy began to play a significant role with the first pit stops. Ferrari was the first of the top teams to make a move and a undercut allowed Hamilton to temporarily overtake Verstappen, but the Dutchman regained the position with a great maneuver a few laps later.
The race changed completely in the second half. While McLaren maintained the 1-2, Piastri lost time after a contact with the lapped Carlos Sainz and later suffered a gearbox failure that forced him to retire while running second. The Virtual Safety Car caused by his stoppage benefited Norris, who managed the gap until the checkered flag to take the victory.
Verstappen took advantage of that same period to rise to second place, while Antonelli resisted Hamilton's attacks and, despite receiving a penalty for exceeding the speed limit in the pits, held onto the last podium spot. Leclerc finished fourth, ahead of Hamilton, Isack Hadjar, George Russell, Liam Lawson, Nico Hülkenberg, and Arvid Lindblad, who completed the top ten.
As for Colapinto, the Argentine had another uphill race with Alpine. After gaining a position at the start, he lost ground in the early laps and an early pit stop affected his strategy as he rejoined in traffic. The driver expressed his disagreement with the team's decision over the radio and never managed to recover the lost time.
Without the pace to approach the points zone, the driver from Pilar completed the 70 laps in 15th position, two laps behind the winner, while his teammate Pierre Gasly finished 12th, also outside the points zone. The result once again highlighted Alpine's difficulties, which will head into the Formula 1 break with several aspects to correct for the second half of the championship.
Results of the Hungarian Grand Prix
1st - Lando Norris (McLaren) | +25
2nd - Max Verstappen (Red Bull) | +18
3rd - Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) | +15
4th - Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) | +12
5th - Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) | +10
6th - Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) | +8
7th - George Russell (Mercedes) | +6
8th - Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) | +4
9th - Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) | +2
10th - Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) | +1
11th - Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) | +0
12th - Pierre Gasly (Alpine) | +0
13th - Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) | +0
14th - Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) | +0
15th - Franco Colapinto (Alpine) | +0
16th - Esteban Ocon (Haas) | +0
17th - Alex Albon (Williams) | +0
18th - Carlos Sainz (Williams) | +0
19th - Ollie Bearman (Haas) | +0
20th - Oscar Piastri (McLaren) | DNF
21st - Sergio Pérez (Cadillac) | DNF
22nd - Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac) | DNF
Drivers' Standings after Hungary
1st - Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) - 219 points
2nd - Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) - 169 points
