Norris Secures Hungarian Grand Prix Victory, Lawson Continues Impressive Run
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mclaren’s Lando Norris clinched a hard-fought victory at the hungarian Grand Prix, holding off teammate Oscar Piastri in a thrilling finish. The win marks McLaren‘s 200th Formula 1 victory and substantially tightens the championship battle, while Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls continued his impressive streak with a points-scoring eighth-place finish, even surpassing four-time world champion Max Verstappen.
The race,held overnight,saw Norris navigate a tense final stint as Piastri closed in,ultimately securing the win by less than a second.”I’m dead. It was tough, it was tough,” Norris admitted after the race. “The final stint, with Oscar catching, I was pushing flat out.” This victory represents the fourth consecutive one-two finish for McLaren, with Norris now leading three of those head-to-head battles as the team gains momentum heading into the four-week midseason break.
A Strategic Masterclass
A year after a controversial win for Piastri at the same track, marred by radio communication issues, this year’s Hungarian Grand Prix was decided on track through strategic acumen. Norris, after briefly dropping to fifth on the first lap, expertly managed his tires, opting for a single pit stop strategy. Piastri, conversely, made two tire changes, initially focusing on overtaking Charles Leclerc of Ferrari.
“it wasn’t obvious that we just had enough pace to blow past [Leclerc],” Piastri explained. “For Lando, there was virtually nothing to lose by trying a one-stop race. For myself, potentially there was.” The differing strategies nearly resulted in a collision between the McLaren teammates on the second-to-last lap as Piastri locked up a wheel while attempting a pass,but Norris ultimately held his ground.
lawson Outperforms Verstappen
In a standout performance, Kiwi driver Liam Lawson secured eighth place, earning points for the third time in the last four Grand Prix. Lawson made a bold move on the opening lap, overtaking his former Red Bull teammate, Verstappen, before briefly losing and then regaining the position after Verstappen’s pit stop.
Defending champion Verstappen struggled throughout the week and finished ninth, dropping to 97 points behind championship leader Piastri – a notable blow to his title defense hopes.
Mixed Fortunes for Other Teams
George Russell of Mercedes claimed third place after a hard-fought battle with Leclerc, though the Ferrari driver received a time penalty for nearly colliding with Russell during a defensive maneuver. Ferrari endured a frustrating race, with Leclerc starting on pole but finishing fourth after reporting a chassis problem.
“This is so incredibly frustrating. We’ve lost all competitiveness,” Leclerc initially told his team over the radio, later clarifying the issue stemmed from a mechanical fault.Lewis Hamilton, after publicly questioning his performance and Ferrari’s direction, finished 12th, mirroring his starting position. “There’s a lot going on in the background that is not great,” Hamilton stated, hinting at deeper issues within the team.
fernando Alonso delivered Aston Martin’s best result of the season with a fifth-place finish, while Gabriel Bortoleto surprised with sixth for Sauber and Lance Stroll secured seventh in the other Aston Martin.
[image of McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain celebrating on the podium after winning the Hungarian formula One Grand Prix race (Source: Associated Press)]
The Hungarian Grand Prix delivered a compelling mix of strategic battles, impressive performances, and ongoing challenges for several top teams, setting the stage for an exciting second half of the Formula 1 season.
