Lando Norris trimmed the gap on McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri in the battle for the 2025 Formula One championship by winning the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday.
It was another 1-2 finish for McLaren as Piastri was the runner-up at the Hungaroring. George Russell claimed the last spot on the podium.
Less than one second separated Norris and Piastri as the Hungarian Grand Prix entered into the final stretch, and Norris’ one-stop strategy heightened the drama. Fans were glued to the action as they wondered whether his car would hold up.
It took some deft defensive driving from Norris to keep Piastri at bay.
Charles Leclerc started from the front after claiming the pole position and edging out Piastri and Norris. Early into the race, he managed to fend off the McLaren stars and build a small advantage.
With nearly 30 laps on the books, however, Leclerc began sending some warning signs to the Ferrari team about the state of his car. He ceded first place thanks to a pit stop on Lap 41, and from that point on it was a fight just to stay on the podium.
Piasti overtook him for second with fewer than 20 laps remaining, and Leclerc’s frustration only grew as Russell starting bearing down.
Russell made his move inside the last 10 laps and Leclerc’s best efforts were unable to keep him out of third.
Leclerc is out of the championship picture, but a checkered flag would’ve been something to celebrate Sunday. Instead, he watched such a promising day turn into a fourth-place finish.
It was also a race to forget for Max Verstappen, who crossed the finish line in ninth. Stuck in eighth place at the start, he was unable to sustain any momentum over the course of the afternoon.
There was a tense moment between Verstappen and one-time rival Lewis Hamilton when Mad Max forced Hamilton to go wide. But even that felt a little unsatisfying as neither star is a serious threat this year.
The drivers will get to enjoy a few weeks off before they’re back on an F1 track. Practice for the Dutch Grand Prix doesn’t start until Aug. 29 at Circuit Zandvoort.
Norris will head to the Netherlands as the reigning winner, having ended Verstappen’s three-year run of dominance in Zandvoort.