BUDAPEST – Lando Norris held off McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri to win the Hungarian Grand Prix on a one-stop technique and slash the Australian’s System One result in 9 factors going into the August break.
Norris accomplished 39 of the 70 laps on a single set of arduous tyres whereas Piastri stopped twice and closed a 12-second hole to simply 0.6 on the end, with a nail-biting chase to the chequered flag and a near-collision on the penultimate lap.
George Russell was a distant third, 20 seconds down the highway, to finish Sunday’sHungaroring podium for Mercedes.
“I am useless. I am useless. It was robust,” gasped Norris, who began in third place — with Piastri second — after which dropped to fifth after being squeezed in the beginning.
“We weren’t actually planning on the one-stop however after the primary lap it was sort of our solely choice to get again into issues.
“I did not assume it might get us the win, I assumed it might get us perhaps into second.”
The win was Norris’s fifth of the season, and third within the final 4, in addition to a profession ninth and McLaren’s seventh one-two in 14 races.
LECLERC FRUSTRATED
“Going into the race we thought a two-stop was the most effective factor to do, and in clear air probably it nonetheless was,” stated Piastri, who has received six instances this yr.
“Having a two-stop race in clear air versus soiled air is a special story. It’s very simple now to say a one-stop was the way in which to go however one second completely different and the reply could be very completely different.”
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was a annoyed fourth, after beginning on an surprising pole place however shedding out massively on the ultimate stint of a two-stop technique.
The Monegasque, who regarded in command for 40 laps till his second cease allowed Piastri to cross, was additionally handed a meaningless five-second penalty for erratic driving in defending in opposition to Russell.
“It was an issue on the chassis. There was a problem on that aspect so we are going to look into it for it to not occur once more,” stated Leclerc.
Fernando Alonso completed fifth in Aston Martin’s finest end result but this yr, and forward of Sauber’s sixth-placed Brazilian rookie Gabriel Bortoleto — a driver the double world champion manages.
That was additionally Bortoleto’s finest end result to this point and Sauber’s sixth successive scoring race.
Lance Stroll was seventh for Aston Martin, who moved as much as sixth total within the constructors’ standings and one level forward of Sauber.
Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson was eighth, with Crimson Bull’s reigning champion Max Verstappen ninth and Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli finishing the highest 10 to finish a scoring drought.
McLaren’s lead within the constructors’ championship grew to a mighty 299 factors over closest rivals Ferrari with 10 races remaining.
HAMILTON TWELFTH
Verstappen remained third total however 97 factors adrift of Piastri, with Russell solely 15 behind.
Norris began rapidly however was boxed in as Alonso and Russell went previous and Piastri chased Leclerc. The Briton recovered fourth place from Alonso on lap three however wanted one thing extra.
Piastri pitted on lap 18, with Leclerc coming in a lap later and staying forward. At that time Norris was supplied the possibility of a one-stopper, which he accepted as his finest likelihood of beating his teammate.
Norris pitted on lap 31, decreasing the hole to the purpose the place he led after rivals made their second stops. Piastri had the final 14 laps on more energizing tyres however couldn’t discover a well beyond.
Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton, an eight-times winner in Hungary, began in twelfth place for Ferrari and completed there.
The Briton, who had informed reporters after qualifying that he was ‘ineffective’ and wanted changing, was lapped by the leaders six laps from the chequered flag and was additionally pressured off observe by Verstappen.
Hamilton was terse post-race, indicating little had modified from Saturday.
—Reuters