McLaren’s Oscar Piastri won his maiden Formula One race at the Hungarian Grand Prix, leading a McLaren one-two finish. This marks McLaren’s first front row lock-out since 2012. Piastri finished ahead of teammate Lando Norris after a dramatic race filled with incidents and strategic team decisions.
Hamilton’s Milestone Podium
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton secured third place, marking his 200th career podium finish. Despite a late-race collision with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, Hamilton managed to maintain his position. Verstappen recovered from the collision to finish fifth, positioned between Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in fourth and Carlos Sainz in sixth.
Red Bull’s Race Recap
Sergio Perez made a notable comeback, finishing seventh after starting 16th. His teammate, Verstappen, faced a challenging race but managed to secure fifth place. George Russell, starting from 17th, finished eighth for Mercedes, followed by Yuki Tsunoda of Red Bull and Lance Stroll of Aston Martin in ninth and tenth places, respectively.
Emotional Win for Piastri
The 23-year-old Australian expressed his joy and disbelief after the race, saying, “It’s very special. I dreamt of this as a kid. Winning with McLaren is an incredible feeling.” Norris was the first to congratulate Piastri, highlighting the team’s achievement and the importance of securing valuable points.
Race Dynamics and Team Orders
At the start, Piastri, Norris, and Verstappen were three abreast into Turn One. Piastri emerged in the lead as Verstappen ran wide, allowing Norris to secure second place. An intense exchange over team radio followed, with Verstappen expressing frustration over team orders.
As the race progressed, Piastri maintained his lead while Hamilton executed a series of fastest laps to move up to third. Verstappen, on fresher tires, eventually overtook Hamilton, only for Hamilton to regain the position after a pit stop. Piastri continued to lead comfortably, followed by Norris and Hamilton.
Norris pitted again for mediums on lap 46, rejoining fourth ahead of Hamilton. Piastri pitted on lap 47, briefly handing the lead to Verstappen. After Verstappen’s pit stop on lap 50, he rejoined in fifth, behind Leclerc.
As Piastri closed in, McLaren reminded Norris of team instructions. Tensions within McLaren rose as Verstappen attempted a risky move on Hamilton, resulting in a brief collision. McLaren issued a final ultimatum to Norris, emphasizing the importance of teamwork for championship success.
With three laps remaining, Norris slowed dramatically, allowing Piastri to take the lead and secure his first career victory.
