Norris Wins in Hungary as Verstappen Recovers to the Podium

Lando Norris converted pole into victory at the Hungaroring. Max Verstappen recovered from sixth on the grid to second, and Kimi Antonelli rounded out the podium in third, enough to extend his championship lead further.


Qualifying: Norris on Pole, Ferrari Lock Out the Second Row

Norris took pole position, with Hamilton second and Leclerc third for Ferrari. Antonelli was fourth, with Piastri fifth. Verstappen qualified sixth, Russell seventh, and Hadjar eighth. Lindblad and Hulkenberg rounded out the top ten.

Race: Norris Wins from Pole, Verstappen Recovers to Second

Norris converted pole into victory. Verstappen made up four places from sixth on the grid to second, and Antonelli climbed from fourth to third, completing the podium. Leclerc slipped from third to fourth, though he took the fastest lap of the race.

Hamilton dropped from second on the grid to fifth at the flag, and Hadjar backed up his qualifying lap with sixth. Russell finished seventh, the same position he started from, and Lawson picked up eighth after starting outside the top ten. Hulkenberg backed up his qualifying lap with ninth for Audi, and Lindblad rounded out the points in tenth.

Valtteri Bottas was the day’s first retirement, his second in as many rounds covered here. No Safety Car was needed. RB claimed the fastest pitstop of the afternoon.


The Points Table Tells the Story

Antonelli’s podium takes him to 219 points, extending his lead to 50 over Hamilton, whose fifth place moves him to 169 in second. Russell’s seventh place is worth six points, taking him to 160 and holding third.

Norris’s win is the biggest mover of the round: 25 points takes him to 128, holding fifth. Leclerc’s fourth place moves him to 138 and fourth, just ahead of Norris. Verstappen’s recovery to second is worth 18, taking him to 109 and past Piastri, who was scoreless in Hungary and stays on 92, into sixth.

Further down, Hadjar’s sixth place moves him to 68 in eighth, and Lawson’s eighth place takes him to 43 and past Gasly, who scored nothing in Hungary, into ninth.

In the constructors’, Mercedes extend their lead to 379 points on Antonelli and Russell’s combined 21. Ferrari move to 307 on Leclerc and Hamilton’s combined 22. McLaren’s 25 from Norris alone, with Piastri blank, takes them to 220. Red Bull Racing’s 26 from Verstappen and Hadjar moves them to 177, and Racing Bulls’s double from Lawson and Lindblad takes them to 66.

Drivers’ Championship: Top 10

Pos Driver Team Points
1 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 219
2 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 169
3 George Russell Mercedes 160
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 138
5 Lando Norris McLaren 128
6 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 109
7 Oscar Piastri McLaren 92
8 Isack Hadjar Red Bull Racing 68
9 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls 43
10 Pierre Gasly Alpine 42

Constructors’ Championship: Top 10

Pos Team Points
1 Mercedes 379
2 Ferrari 307
3 McLaren 220
4 Red Bull Racing 177
5 Racing Bulls 66
6 Alpine 61
7 Haas F1 Team 21
8 Audi 12
9 Williams 11
10 Aston Martin 1

The Wider Picture

McLaren will be pleased with Norris’s win, even with Piastri scoreless on the day.

Mercedes extend their lead with a podium for Antonelli and points for Russell, business as usual at the top of both championships.

Red Bull will take real encouragement from Verstappen’s recovery from sixth on the grid to a podium.

Ferrari picked up points with both cars, Leclerc’s fastest lap a small consolation for finishing outside the podium after starting third.

Racing Bulls continue to add to their tally with a double points finish for Lawson and Lindblad.


Final Verdict

Hungary belonged to Norris, a pole to flag win that holds his position in the top five of the drivers’ standings. But the championship picture at the top continues to be shaped by Mercedes and Antonelli, whose podium extends a lead that now stands at 50 points over Hamilton in second. Verstappen’s recovery from sixth to a podium is the kind of result Red Bull will want to build on heading into the second half of the season.

Photo: “Lando Norris Integralhelm 2025” by Auge=mit, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.


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