Oscar Piastri wins first Grand Prix in Hungary in controversial McLaren one-two ahead of Lando Norris

Lando Norris finally gave in on Sunday to the orders of his team, who asked him to let his teammate Oscar Piastri pass at the end of the race.

A triumph, but trouble at McLaren. Oscar Piastri won the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday 21 July, ahead of his teammate Lando Norris, the same order as after the first corner. Not the one at the start, where Lando Norris let the lead slip away, but the one desired by the British team which asked the Briton to let the Australian pass, who had led the first two-thirds of the race before the final pit stops. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) completed the podium, again in confusion, while Max Verstappen (Red Bull) crashed into him ten laps from the finish. The world championship leader, extremely tense throughout the race, finished fifth.

Oscar Piastri’s first bouquet will retain a somewhat special flavor. The youngest driver on the grid had done the hardest part right from the start, getting the better of his pit neighbor, who for his fifth pole position (sprint races included) did not manage to improve on his pole position… for the fifth time. In control throughout the race, in what looked like a procession at the front for an hour, Oscar Piastri suffered from his team’s strategy, which made him return to the pits first during the final refueling session.

Starting behind Lando Norris, the 115th winner in the history of F1 saw his teammate refuse McLaren’s instructions for a while, who repeatedly asked for the positions to be reversed. Faced with numerous insistences on the radio, the winner of the Miami Grand Prix earlier in the season finally complied.

This race in Hungary will remain one of messages rich in tension. Quite nervous throughout the race, Max Verstappen ended his fury by hitting Lewis Hamilton in an attempt to take third place.

The Dutchman was entitled to real – and rare – reprimands from his Red Bull team, and to a disappointing result, fifth. The triple reigning world champion let three consecutive Grands Prix slip away for the first time in almost three years, at the end of the 2021 season (Sao Paulo, Qatar and Saudi Arabia GP). Lewis Hamilton, valiant, signs his 200th podium in Formula 1, ahead of Charles Leclerc (Ferrari).

The hierarchy is shaken up a little more, with a seventh different winner this season and tighter rankings. Lando Norris remains a significant margin behind Max Verstappen, but takes eight points back from his rival. Above all, McLaren confirms its closeness in the constructors’ standings, 51 points behind Red Bull, before the Belgian Grand Prix in a week.