Norris secures victory at Hungarian Grand Prix, Verstappen second
Lando Norris claimed his and McLaren’s first Grand Prix victory of the year in Hungary. Max Verstappen of Red Bull finished second, while Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes took third place. This result extended Antonelli’s championship lead over Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.
Norris expressed satisfaction with his performance, stating his pace was among the best he has ever had and that the car was enjoyable to drive. His win was influenced by a strategic decision that reportedly did not please his teammate, Oscar Piastri. Verstappen’s second-place finish was a surprise, attributed to a strategy gamble by Red Bull. Hamilton received another penalty, affecting Ferrari’s race despite their pace.
McLaren’s Strategic Race
Norris initially lost the lead to his teammate, Piastri, after making an error and running wide through Turn Two. Piastri had a strong start, taking the lead and maintaining it through the first pit stops. Norris remained close behind, often within a second, and pushed to challenge his teammate during the second stint of the race.
McLaren opted to call Piastri in for his second stop first, citing a need to cover the threat from Hamilton. Norris was then allowed to run for an additional six laps before his pit stop, using this time to gain an advantage. As Norris made his stop, Piastri was involved in a collision with Williams driver Carlos Sainz while lapping him, an incident for which Sainz received a five-second penalty.
Piastri later stated his frustration was directed at Sainz and believed he would have stayed ahead of Norris without the collision. He also indicated he had no complaints regarding the team’s strategy. Piastri’s race ended prematurely on lap 56 due to a gearbox failure, leading to a late virtual safety car (VSC) period.
Verstappen’s Recovery and Penalties
Verstappen encountered issues with his car throughout the race, frequently communicating his concerns over team radio. However, Red Bull made a key strategic move by fitting soft tyres during his second pit stop. This decision aimed to challenge Hamilton in the latter stages of the race.
The VSC, triggered by Piastri’s retirement, led to a round of late pit stops, with Ferrari bringing in both their drivers. Hamilton briefly passed Antonelli after exiting the pits but was required to return the position after the restart. Both Antonelli and Hamilton were delayed while lapping Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto, which allowed Verstappen to maintain his lead over Antonelli, finishing 3.6 seconds ahead.
Hamilton faced another penalty for speeding in the pit lane during the race. This followed a three-place grid penalty received in qualifying for impeding Piastri. The qualifying incident occurred when Hamilton, after completing his own fast lap, was unaware of Piastri approaching on a push lap and blocked him at Turn 1. Hamilton admitted he did not know anyone was still on a hot lap behind him.
The stewards reviewed video, telemetry, team radio, and in-car video evidence, concluding that Hamilton unnecessarily impeded Piastri. As a result, Hamilton was relegated to fifth on the grid, promoting Charles Leclerc, Antonelli, and Piastri by one position each. Antonelli also received a three-place penalty for failing to slow under yellow flags during qualifying.
Looking Ahead
Aston Martin introduced a significantly upgraded car in Hungary, which reportedly reduced their lap times by approximately two seconds. While they did not score points in this race, Fernando Alonso managed to get an Aston Martin into Q2 for the first time this season, finishing 16th in qualifying. The team anticipates a Honda engine upgrade for the upcoming Dutch Grand Prix, which they hope will further improve their performance and potentially lead to points finishes.
The Formula 1 season will now observe a four-week summer break before resuming with the Dutch Grand Prix, scheduled from 21-23 August. This event will be a sprint race and marks F1’s final visit to Zandvoort as the circuit’s contract concludes this year.
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Source: bbc.com
