Lando Norris wins first race as F1 Champion

Defending Formula One champion Lando Norris won the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday, securing his first victory of the 2026 season.

Norris started from pole position in Mogyorod, Hungary, but quickly lost the lead when his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri made a move to overtake him at Turn 2 on the opening lap.

The battle between the two McLaren drivers became the highlight of the race, with Norris unsuccessfully asking the team to intervene and stop Piastri from challenging for the lead. Norris gained an opportunity when McLaren brought Piastri in for his second pit stop.

Norris, who won seven races during his dominant 2025 championship campaign, was forced to wait as Piastri returned to the track. However, Piastri lost time after making contact with Williams driver Carlos Sainz Jr., allowing Norris to retake the lead.

Norris claimed victory in his first race as world champion, finishing ahead of four-time champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull and championship leader Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes.

"I don't know what happened, to be honest," Norris said, reflecting on his mistake at Turn 2. "I just kept losing the rear. I had like three or four big snaps. It felt horrible and, of course, Oscar did a good job to get the cutback and get back past, so I think I was just a bit wide in the dirt — game over for the first lap."

"But I was pushing like hell to try and force him into a mistake or something. My pace today was probably some of the best pace I've ever had. The car was beautiful to drive and I felt very confident, so it was a great race."

"I'm just happy to be back and see the number one again," the 26-year-old Briton added.

Piastri completed 55 of the race's 70 laps before a gearbox problem forced him to retire.

McLaren struggled early in the 2026 season with technical issues involving the new car specifications, allowing Ferrari and Mercedes to move ahead after McLaren's dominant 2025 campaign.

Norris had been critical of his car's performance throughout the season but praised the team after Sunday's win.

"The team has put so much work into making a car that can finally win again. It's nice to be able to do it for them," Norris said.

"If we want to come back, we need a lot more of these and we need to continue putting pressure on our competition. This weekend was a perfect weekend for us, but it's going to be tough, so we'll keep pushing and keep working hard."

"I owe the team a lot. They've done an amazing job to even get back to winning races at this point, so I'm proud."

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

Hamilton dropped to fifth after receiving a penalty for speeding during a pit stop. The seven-time world champion remains second in the drivers' standings, trailing Antonelli by 50 points.

Mercedes leads the constructors' standings, followed by Ferrari, while McLaren sits a distant third.

Formula One will now take its summer break before returning with the Dutch Grand Prix on Aug. 23.

—Field Level Media/Reuters