McLaren’s Australian driver Oscar Piastri emerged victorious in his first Formula One race at the Hungarian Grand Prix, securing a McLaren one-two finish alongside teammate Lando Norris. The result was achieved after a dramatic exchange between the team and Norris, who eventually obeyed team orders to let Piastri reclaim the lead. Piastri started second on the grid but managed to overtake Norris at the first turn. Although Norris briefly took the lead due to a pit-stop strategy, he eventually conceded to let Piastri secure the victory.
Piastri expressed his elation at standing on the podium’s top step, stating that it was a childhood dream come true. The 23-year-old Australian commended Norris for his fair decision to swap positions. Lewis Hamilton finished third, achieving his 200th career podium.
Despite finishing fifth, Max Verstappen still holds the points lead in the championship standings with 265 points. However, Red Bull’s advantage in speed has diminished in recent races. Verstappen has gone without a victory for the past three races, while Norris has closed the gap with 189 points.
One of the standout moments of the race was the intense radio drama between McLaren and its drivers. Initially, McLaren informed Piastri that the pit strategy was designed to keep Hamilton at bay while Norris was asked to give up his position “at his convenience.” As laps passed without Norris yielding, McLaren urged him to let Piastri pass as soon as they caught up. After a tense silence, Norris finally relinquished the lead with two laps remaining.
McLaren’s team principal, Andrea Stella, acknowledged the difficulty in asking a driver leading a race to swap positions and emphasized the importance of teamwork and support within the team. Norris displayed no resentment as he stepped onto the second spot of the podium and highlighted that McLaren’s victory as a team was the main focus.
Oscar Piastri, when asked about trailing Norris for 20 laps, admitted to feeling nervous but ultimately believed it was the right decision to swap positions. Piastri’s victory in Hungary marked his first win in 35 Formula One races and made him the first F1 winner born in the 21st century.
While McLaren dominated the race, the battle between Hamilton and Verstappen provided the most exciting moments. The two drivers engaged in an intense fight, with Hamilton successfully defending against Verstappen’s attempts to overtake him. In the closing laps, Verstappen made a daring move to pass Hamilton but locked his front wheels, causing his Red Bull car to clip Hamilton’s Mercedes and veer off the track. Verstappen managed to rejoin the race but lost a position to Charles Leclerc in the process.
With McLaren’s victory, Red Bull’s lead in the constructors’ championship has been reduced to 389-338. Sergio Pérez, Verstappen’s teammate, continued to struggle and finished seventh.
The Hungarian Grand Prix marked the halfway point of the season. The next race will be the Belgian Grand Prix on July 28th.
