Lando Norris makes up for start blunder by out-smarting Oscar Piastri for victory

Lando Norris enjoys his moment on the podium - Getty Images /Clive Rose

When Lando Norris slipped from third to fifth at the first corner of the Hungarian Grand Prix it felt like a familiar story. One reason Norris trailed McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri by 16 points heading into this race was because of several small but significant mistakes. He has been open and honest about them in public, almost to the point of self-flagellation.

Starting third, behind pole-sitter Charles Leclerc and Piastri, Norris lost two places, being jumped by George Russell and Fernando Alonso at turn one. He soon passed the Aston Martin but it must have felt like another race was slipping away as he struggled to overtake Russell, with Leclerc and Piastri duelling for the lead.

Norris said after the race that he prepared by watching footage of previous starts at the Hungaroring. “I watched quite a few videos of lap one turn one, but clearly it didn’t work,” he said.

Norris, though, felt that it was not a bad start but bad luck. “My start was good, but I think Charles’s was pretty good as well. I feel like it was more just unlucky with how things panned out. I think it was just a worst-case scenario,” he said.

Yet it was precisely this situation that gave him the opportunity to take a fifth win of 2025, as McLaren split their two drivers’ strategies. Norris’s one-stop gamble brought him back into contention as Leclerc’s pace faded dramatically in the closing stages. Once Piastri passed the ailing Ferrari for second it was a straight fight between the two McLarens.

It nearly ended in disaster as Piastri, with fresher rubber, locked his brakes at turn one on the penultimate lap, narrowly avoiding ploughing into the back of Norris. Third-placed man Russell, speaking to the McLaren pair in the cool-down room remarked: “Why didn’t you T-bone him? That would’ve been great.”

Joking aside, it would have been a heart-in-the-mouth moment for those on the McLaren pit wall, who have worked so hard to keep the relationship between their two title-contending drivers harmonious whilst also letting them race. “Remember how we go racing, same reminder Oscar,” he was told by his chief engineer Tom Stallard. In the end that mistake from Piastri effectively ended his hopes of overhauling Norris on a track where he took a maiden grand prix win last year.

Norris has now won three of the last four grands prix to reduce Piastri’s lead at the top of the standings to nine points heading into the summer break with 10 rounds remaining.

Just as at Silverstone at the start of July, Norris profited from some good fortune. Back then it was Piastri’s time penalty for an infringement under the safety car that brought Norris a home victory. This time it was the move to a one-stop strategy that few in the team thought would put him back into contention in Hungary, even at the time they chose it.

Such is the pace of the McLaren at all tracks this season, it was not exactly a Hail Mary pass, but it certainly felt like a long shot to overhaul Piastri. After the race, Norris said he thought it might be enough to claim second and limit the damage in the title race.

Norris was able to fend off team-mate Oscar Piastri despite the Australian’s efforts in the closing stages - Getty Images/Joe Portlock

“When they asked me what do you think of the one-stop, at that point I was already seven seconds behind Oscar and eight or nine behind Charles. My expectations were not high but I was banking on a safety car or a VSC to bring me back into the race but I didn’t have either.

“My confidence [of the strategy working] wasn’t the highest, but it was my best chance of doing something… it allowed me to fight until the very end to win. I am not sure it felt like the best strategy but [because] of how difficult overtaking was, it turned out to be pretty good,” Norris said after the race.

As it was, clean air was king yet again and, despite backmarkers helping Piastri eat into the lead in the closing stages, Norris drove a superb, consistent and calm second stint to deny his team-mate. Piastri can feel slightly aggrieved that Norris made the one-stop strategy work whilst not having that choice himself.

Had the McLarens been second and third behind Leclerc, then Norris would surely not have been given the option of diverging from his team-mate. Still, winning a championship is about taking your chances. Earlier in the season Norris squandered opportunities, but is now starting to make up for it.

Piastri questioned McLaren’s decision to pit early in order to overtake Leclerc with a pace advantage on fresh rubber. “I pushed as hard as I could. I think after I saw Lando going for the one [stop] I knew I was going to have to overtake on track, which is much easier said than done around here. I don’t know if trying to undercut Charles Leclerc was the right call in the end.”

As the McLarens battled yet again, Russell fought back to secure his first podium finish since his victory in Montreal nearly two months ago, denying a dejected Leclerc a second third-place finish in a row.

Defending champion Max Verstappen had another torrid afternoon at the Hungaroring, finishing one place lower than he started in ninth. “Not fun for anyone,” he said after the race. Lewis Hamilton, who suggested on Saturday that Ferrari should sack him, finished exactly where he started, in 12th and a lap down.

There were good points for Aston Martin with Alonso fifth and Lance Stroll seventh. Gabriel Bortoleto took a career-best sixth for Sauber, whilst Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli took the final point – only his second top-10 finish since the Miami Grand Prix.

04:28 PM BST

Milestone for McLaren

04:26 PM BST

Zak Brown talking to Sky Sports

“Everyone will sleep well tonight, a great way to go into the summer break. You are never perfect in a race but I think that was as close to perfect as you can get.

“The drivers were awesome, pit stops amazing, strategy was great to get Lando [Norris] up there, Oscar [Piastri] drove brilliantly. I could not be prouder of this racing team. All under control. I had some good chats with Andrea [Stella] during the race, it was very exciting. It was a great grand prix.

“With Lando’s first lap, we were not planning a one-stop strategy, we did not know if we could but then it got to a point where let’s try. Knew it would come down to the last five laps there and good to see them race very hard, very clean and they are both happy boys.”

04:25 PM BST

Important win for Norris

Lando Norris has now won three of the last four races - Attila Kisbenedek/Getty Images

Lando Norris has cut Oscar Piastri’s lead in the drivers’ standings to nine points - Jakub Porzycki/Reuters

04:22 PM BST

Summer break

Lando Norris will be heading into the rest with a spring in his step. Here is a taste of what is to come in the weeks after the break:

Dutch Grand Prix: August 29-31

Italian Grand Prix: September 5-7

Azerbaijan Grand Prix: September 19-21

Singapore Grand Prix: October 3-5

04:13 PM BST

McLaren one-two once more

McLaren are miles ahead of the rest in the Constructors’ Standings - Clive Rose/Getty Images

04:11 PM BST

Zak Brown: F1 is a better place without Christian Horner

Zak Brown has said that Formula One is “healthier” without Christian Horner and that the sport will be “in a better place” without the former Red Bull team principal.

Horner was axed from his role with the F1 team in July after a turbulent final 18 months with the outfit. He was investigated for inappropriate behaviour last year, though was later cleared after two separate investigations.

On the track, Red Bull’s results have declined dramatically since mid-2024 and numerous high-profile figures in the team have left during that time.

Horner has been replaced by Laurent Mekies, and Brown, the McLaren chief executive and long-time rival of Horner’s, said that he felt more comfortable with the Frenchman in charge at the Milton Keynes-based team.

04:05 PM BST

Constructors’ standings

1. McLaren- 559 points
2. Ferrari- 260 points
3. Mercedes- 236 points
4. Red Bull- 194 points
5. Williams- 70 points

04:04 PM BST

Drivers’ standings

1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)- 284 points
2. Lando Norris (McLaren)- 275 points
3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)- 187 points
4. George Russell (Mercedes)- 172 points
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)- 151 points

04:00 PM BST

🏆 Be careful with that trophy Lando!

Lando Norris has history with trophies in Hungary - Clive Rose/Getty Images

03:59 PM BST

Bottom ten

11. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)

12. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)

13. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber)

14. Carlos Sainz (Williams)

15. Alex Albon (Williams)

16. Esteban Ocon (Haas)

17. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)

18. Franco Colapinto (Alpine)

19. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)

DNF: Oliver Bearman (Haas)

03:57 PM BST

Top ten

1. Lando Norris (McLaren)
2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
3. George Russell (Mercedes)
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
5. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
6. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber)
7. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
8. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
9. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
10. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)

Lando Norris held off Oscar Piastri to take victory - Jakub Porzycki/Reuters

03:55 PM BST

Quotes from George Russell, who finished third

03:54 PM BST

Sage advice!

Lando Norris has history with trophies in Hungary!

03:53 PM BST

Oscar Piastri, who finished second

03:51 PM BST

The thoughts of your race winner, Lando Norris

03:45 PM BST

Martin Brundle on Sky Sports

“Oscar [Piastri] will be seething with that. Remember the two radio calls. Pit to undercut [Charles] Leclerc.

“They were busy strategising to beat Leclerc. [Lando] Norris did not have that problem as he was out of the picture and came in 13 laps later and changed strategy. The great irony is by not being in that fight with the Ferrari at the front they had more freedom and took it.

“But he still had to deliver that pace for that amount of time on those tyres. Oscar will be asking why did not we do that. Why have we two stopped and been beaten by our team-mate who one-stopped?”

03:44 PM BST

Top five

1. Lando Norris (McLaren) 🥇
2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) 🥈
3. George Russell (Mercedes) 🥉
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
5. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

Lando Norris reduces Oscar Piastri’s lead in the drivers’ standings - Clive Rose/Getty Images

03:42 PM BST

📻Lando Norris over team radio

“Lovely. Good racing. Good strategy. Good call. Well fought. Thank you guys.”

03:38 PM BST

🏁 Lando Norris wins the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix!

The Briton has held off his teammate and takes victory! What a superb drive from Norris, having lost two places on the first lap and making a one-stop strategy works. Piastri has to settle for second and his lead in the drivers’ standings is cut by seven. Russell comes home in third to take the final podium spot.

Bravo Norris, that was a sensational drive!

Victory for Lando Norris - Clive Rose/Getty Images

03:38 PM BST

Lap 70 of 70

Norris keeps first into turn one and Piastri cannot try a move into turn two. Norris is so close to victory here. Meanwhile Leclerc has a five-second penalty of erratic driving.

03:36 PM BST

Lap 69 of 70

Piastri feels a little closer this time. Will he try a lunge? He attempts one and locks up, a little like he did at Austria. He nearly ends up piling into his teammate but avoids Norris, who realistically has one more time to defend. That could have taken both of them out.

An enormous “ooooh” in unison from the media centre as Piastri locked up at turn one and nearly hit Norris. You imagine what the reaction would have been like nin McLaren’s garage.

Close to contact between the two McLarens - Joe Portlock/Getty Images

03:35 PM BST

Lap 68 of 70

As we enter onto lap 68, Piastri is around seven tenths down as he exits the final corner. He thinks of a move into turn one but thinks better of it. There is no realistic overtaking opportunity now until turn one on the next lap.

03:33 PM BST

Lap 67 of 70

The McLarens have got through the traffic so it is a straight battle for the win until the chequered flag.

03:32 PM BST

Lap 66 of 70

Five laps to go and Piastri has DRS behind Norris. Antonelli is the latest backmarker who needs to move aside as the front two are so close together.

03:31 PM BST

Lap 65 of 70

Hamilton has got out of the way of both McLarens, who are now separated by under a second. Piastri’s newer-tyre advantage may be slightly hampered by being in the dirty air behind his teammate.

03:29 PM BST

Lap 63 of 70

Norris tells his team his race is being ruined by backmarkers. Piastri nearly has DRS behind his teammate.

03:28 PM BST

Lap 62 of 70

Russell has DRS down the main straight and goes up the inside of Leclerc. The two nearly touch but they avoid any serious contact. Russell gets the move done and is into third. It was a little naughty from Leclerc as he tried to block off Russell’s move. Russell wants Leclerc to be given a penalty.

03:25 PM BST

Lap 61 of 70

Zak Brown has just told Sky Sports his drivers are free to race “hard” but “fairly”. Piastri is now within three seconds of his teammate. Irrelevant of what happens Norris has chosen the right strategy.

Russell thinks about a move on Leclerc into turn one but the Ferrari driver holds third.

03:22 PM BST

Lap 58 of 70

Piastri is going to catch up to Norris but how many more laps will it take him to do that and can he then get past his teammate even with DRS? It could be a huge points swing in the championship depending on which McLaren crosses the line first.

Meanwhile behind Russell has DRS behind Leclerc. To add to the drama of that battle, the two are having to fight their way through traffic and blue flags.

Will we see a showdown in the final few laps between the two McLarens? On Piastri’s current pace, yes. If that is the case it would be nice to see a genuine battle rather than Piastri breezing past with the aid of DRS into turn one. 

03:20 PM BST

Lap 57 of 70

Top five with gaps (intervals):

1. Norris
2. Piastri +4.8
3. Leclerc +9.6
4. Russell +1.5
5. Alonso +38.5

03:17 PM BST

Lap 55 of 70

Norris has lost some time getting past some backmarkers and his lead over Piastri is under six seconds with 15 laps remaining. Norris is told over team radio that they would take a stop if there were a safety car now and they would put him on hards, but he responds “Soft!”.

The camera pans to inside the McLaren garage and Norris’ girlfriend Margarida Corceiro, who looks a little nervous.

03:16 PM BST

📻 Lap 54 of 70

Leclerc is not happy with his team, telling them the car is “undriveable” and says it will be “a miracle if they finish on the podium”. He is losing time and has Russell gaining on him for the final podium place.

03:13 PM BST

Lap 51 of 70

Piastri is within DRS range of Leclerc and has the aid of DRS down the main straight. Leclerc covers the inside but Piastri has the confidence to break much later and goes around the outside to take second place. He is eight and a half seconds behind Norris with just under 20 laps to go. The question now is can Piastri catch Norris?

Oscar Piastri sweeps around the outside of Charles Leclerc - Joe Portlock/Getty Images

03:11 PM BST

‼️ Lap 50 of 70

Bearman, who has significant damage to his car, is told to retire the car.

03:10 PM BST

Lap 49 of 70

Verstappen is brought in from fifth and comes back out on another set of hard tyres in ninth, just ahead of the Mercedes of Antonelli. Alonso, Bortoleto, Stroll and Lawson move up a place.

03:08 PM BST

Lap 48 of 70

Top five with gaps (intervals):

1. Norris
2. Leclerc +7.1
3. Piastri +4.6
4. Russell +6.1
5. Verstappen +23.9

Over the last few laps, Norris has extended his gap to Leclerc despite being on older tyres. Norris has asked over team radio for there to be more proactivity when it comes to blue flags.

03:06 PM BST

Lap 46 of 70

Piastri pits, coming back out in third, around five seconds behind Leclerc and 12 seconds behind our leader Norris. Piastri said over his team radio that he cares more about his teammate than Leclerc.

03:05 PM BST

Lap 45 of 70

Norris’ pace is blistering, shown by the fact that not only is he closing in on Piastri but Leclerc is in fact losing time behind Norris despite being on fresher tyres.

03:03 PM BST

Lap 44 of 70

Russell is not extending any more as he is told to box, setting Norris free. Piastri remains out on track and has not come in for a second time. He is 10 seconds ahead of his teammate Norris who, with around 25 laps to go, looks like he may have chosen the right strategy.

03:02 PM BST

Lap 43 of 70

Norris is now in DRS range of Russell, who says over his team radio that he is happy to extend this stint. The time Norris might lose behind Russell now will aid Leclerc and Piastri as well.

03:01 PM BST

Lap 42 of 70

Piastri now has some free air and has not responded to Leclerc’s stop yet. Russell, now nine seconds back from Piastri, has Norris closing in behind him.

02:59 PM BST

Lap 41 of 70

Piastri is told to box to undercut but that prompts Leclerc to come in, which results in Piastri staying out. Leclerc comes out in fourth, seven seconds behind Norris and the tyre off-set is not that big.

Bortolelto and Lawson both come in.

02:58 PM BST

Lap 40 of 70

Will Piastri and McLaren be contemplating an undercut on Leclerc? He is one and a half seconds behind the Ferrari man and if he were to pit before Leclerc, surely the undercut would be powerful enough.

Alonso finally decides it is time to pit from fifth and comes back out in eighth. He did 40 laps on the mediums and will only have to do 30 laps on a set of hards.

02:56 PM BST

Lap 39 of 70

Norris’ tyres are more than 10 laps younger than the trio ahead of him. He is now just six seconds behind Russell, with still under two seconds separating the front two of Leclerc and Piastri.

02:54 PM BST

Lap 38 of 70

There are still a number of drivers yet to pit; Alonso, Bortoleto, Stroll and Lawson. Stroll is the first of that quartet to pit and comes back out in 12th.

02:52 PM BST

Lap 36 of 70

Piastri is speaking to his race engineer Tom Stallard over the team radio and he has raised the remote possibility he could go to the end on this hard tyre, which would be a tall order. He is just under two seconds behind Leclerc. Russell is around eight seconds behind Piastri, with Norris a further seven and a bit seconds back from Russell.

Verstappen is under investigation for that move on Hamilton and the Dutchman could be facing a penalty.

02:50 PM BST

Lap 35 of 70

Verstappen is doing a very good job trying to disprove the theory that you can only overtake at the Hungaroring with DRS on the pit straight. Love him or hate him you cannot take your eyes off him if he has cars to overtake. That said he’s still one place lower than he started. He’s not particularly pleased but isn’t as furious he was at this race last year. Yet. 

02:47 PM BST

Lap 32 of 70

Norris is told to “Box, Box!” and dives into the pits. 31 laps completed on the mediums and he is going to try to take these hards to the end, which he should be able to do. The question is what the pace will be at the end when Leclerc and Piastri are on fresher tyres, presuming they do two stops. It is a 1.9-second stop from McLaren, which allows Norris to come out ahead of Alonso, who is still yet to stop.

02:45 PM BST

Lap 31 of 70

Leclerc and Piastri are closing up to the back of Norris, who is going for this one-stop strategy and is yet to pit. Russell is more than eight seconds behind Piastri.

02:42 PM BST

Lap 29 of 70

Norris is asked by his race engineer Will Joseph about the one-stop, doing 40 laps on a set of hards, and Norris’ response;“Why not!”. He has a five-second lead over Leclerc, who has Piastri not far behind him.

That was nearly a huge collision. Verstappen gets a good run on Hamilton up to the fast left-hander of turn four and they are so close to coming together. Hamilton looks like he bails out to avoid a collision and runs wide, allowing Verstappen to go through into 11th.

02:39 PM BST

Lap 26 of 70

Russell now gets the move done on Alonso into turn one to take fourth place.

Further back Verstappen is not happy with his team for pitting him into traffic and is now stuck behind Hamilton, who started on the hards and is yet to pit.

02:38 PM BST

Lap 25 of 70

Top five with gaps (intervals):

1. Norris
2. Leclerc +8.5
3. Piastri +1.9
4. Alonso +6.6
5. Russell +0.6

Norris and Alonso are yet to pit. Russell is trying desperately to get the move done on Alonso and nearly runs into the back of the Spaniard on the run down to turn two.

02:35 PM BST

📻 Lap 23 of 70

Norris is told it is either Plan A, perhaps with an extension, or plan D. What is plan D?

Lando Norris, in the lead but yet to stop - Joe Portlock/Getty Images

02:33 PM BST

Lap 22 of 70

Piastri gets the move done easily on Alonso before the entry into turn one with the aid of DRS.

02:32 PM BST

Lap 21 of 70

Despite complaining about his tyres a few laps ago, Norris remains out on track without pitting. Was that a clever bluff from Norris and McLaren? Behind Leclerc has made light work of getting past Alonso, who also is yet to pit, and is up into second. Up next will be Piastri trying to get past Alonso.

02:30 PM BST

Lap 20 of 70

One lap after Piastri came in, Leclerc does indeed respond immediately. Will he come out ahead of Piastri or not? He does come out ahead but only just.

Russell also comes in but Norris did not pit so he inherits the lead.

02:28 PM BST

Lap 19 of 70

It is not Norris though that pits first for the McLarens as Piastri comes in an attempt to undercut Leclerc. Ferrari will need to respond immediately.

02:27 PM BST

Lap 18 of 70

There is activity in the pit lane and Verstappen comes in from seventh in an attempt to undercut Bortoleto and Alonso. The Dutchman goes onto a set of hard tyres and is in some free air.

Norris is told plan A minus five and he responds by saying his tyres have gone.

02:26 PM BST

Lap 17 of 70

Norris had temporarily dropped out of DRS range behind Russell but now has DRS back. Is he potentially waiting to create a pit-stop gap back to Alonso before stopping so he does not get caught up in any traffic.

Piastri is told over team radio to use the tyres and push. In the last lap he has gained half a second on Leclerc.

02:22 PM BST

Lap 14 of 70

Norris has been within DRS range of Russell for a number of laps but has not had a genuine chance of trying an overtake. There are two DRS zones but the second is fairly short between turns one and two. There is plenty of chatter about one versus two-stop strategies and Norris might be thinking of two stops to get some free air rather than getting stuck behind Russell, who is three seconds behind Piastri, who is three seconds in-turn off Leclerc. Norris has 11 seconds over Alonso behind him.

Will Lando Norris be thinking about a two-stop strategy? - Attila Kisbenedek/Getty Images

02:18 PM BST

Lap 11 of 70

Norris has DRS behind Russell and is closing in on his compatriot. He is told over the team radio by his race engineer Will Joseph that he needs to get past Russell asap. Behind Norris, Alonso is ten seconds behind in fifth.

02:16 PM BST

❗ Lap 10 of 70

Hulkenberg is last, having already stopped, and now has received a five-second time penalty for the infringement at the start.

02:14 PM BST

Lap 8 of 70

Has Leclerc pushed his tyres too soon and is Piastri nursing these mediums at the moment? Time will tell. There are conversations over the McLaren team radio between Piastri and his race engineer Tom Stallard about possibly doing a one-stop race. Norris is now in DRS range behind Russell.

News from the stewards that there is no further investigation on Bortoleto for a potential infringement at the start.

02:12 PM BST

Lap 7 of 70

Top five with gaps (intervals):

1. Leclerc
2. Piastri +2.7
3. Russell +1.3
4. Norris +1.2
5. Alonso +4.4

02:11 PM BST

⁉️ Lap 5 of 70

Both Saubers are under investigation now for potentially moving too soon at the start.

02:09 PM BST

Lap 4 of 70

What a start this has been from Leclerc, who has more than a two-second advantage now back to Piastri.

Meanwhile Bortoleto could be in some trouble as he is under investigation for moving before the signal at the start.

02:07 PM BST

Lap 3 of 70

Norris, after that tough start, needs to knuckle down and gets one of the places he lost back with an easy move up the inside of Alonso at turn one.

Lando Norris making up one of the places he lost on the opening lap - Attila Kisbenedek/Getty Images

Further back Verstappen gets his second move done into the turn six/ seven chicane, this time on Stroll, and is up into seventh.

02:06 PM BST

Lap 2 of 70

Verstappen gets past Lawson, who was his Red Bull teammate at the start of the season, into the chicane at turn six and is back to where he started in eighth.

02:04 PM BST

Lap 1 of 70

Leclerc maintains first place and it is Norris who is the big loser, losing two places to Russell and Alonso, and drops back to fifth. Horrible start for Norris, who is now three places behind his teammate. He may have been a little too cautious in those first few corners but the likes of Russell and Alonso have nothing to lose whereas Norris has everything to lose.

Bortoleto has got past Stroll for sixth whilst Verstappen has lost a place on the first lap. Hamilton, who has started on the hard tyre, has lost two places and is currently 14th.

02:03 PM BST

🟢 Go, go, go!

The lights go out and we are under way in the Hungarian Grand Prix!

02:00 PM BST

The formation lap

The top 11 on the grid are starting on the medium tyre, the first driver to divert from that strategy is Hamilton down in 12th, who begins on the hard tyres.

Off the drivers head around for the formation lap. There is some rain falling around half an hour away from the track so we could see a downpour mid-race?

01:59 PM BST

What can the Astons do today?

Aston Martin have had a problematic season but have started to turn things around in recent rounds. With Fernando Alonso starting fifth and Lance Stroll sixth they have a decent chance today to move up from eighth to sixth in the standings, overhauling Racing Bulls and Sauber. Williams are a little further ahead but on current trends they could also be overtaken before the end of the season. Fifth is not where they want to be, but it would be a more creditable result than eighth. 

01:58 PM BST

Will Leclerc maintain first out of turn one?

01:56 PM BST

Tyre chat!

01:56 PM BST

📢 Five-minute klaxon

Just five minutes to go until the drivers start the formation lap. Here is how the top ten line up:

1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
3. Lando Norris (McLaren)
4. George Russell (Mercedes)
5. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
6. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
7. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber)
8. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
9. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
10. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)

01:52 PM BST

The pre-race thoughts of George Russell, who starts fourth

“The start is always important but this circuit race pace always tends to favour the winner. It is difficult to overtake but you can go long, you can go short and there is a lot of opportunity with the strategy.

“We need to keep our eyes on Charles [Leclerc], he will be focused on the McLarens and hopefully we can do something different to sneak in there.”

01:51 PM BST

Conditions

It is windy around the Hungaroring, including a headwind down to turn one, which will increase the effectiveness of DRS and thus increasing the chance of overtaking. There is also a chance of rain during the rain, which could create some headaches for the strategists!

01:49 PM BST

Not quite Monaco!

Martin Brundle did though have a word on the grid with Jamie Dornan and Axl Rose!

Fair to say that Hungary is not especially awash with celebrities known worldwide. Still, András Arató, the Hungarian better known as ‘Hide the Pain Harold’ of internet meme fame is at the grand prix today. Which of the 20 drivers will be doing their best to hide the pain after today’s race? Lewis Hamilton had absolutely no interest in hiding his pain after qualifying 12th yesterday...

01:46 PM BST

Rock royalty

01:43 PM BST

Jamie Chadwick on Sky Sports

“I think for everyone you want to go into the summer break with a good performance. For Lando [Norris] the only thing that could be interesting for him is the outside of the grid seems to be a lot stronger.

“Last year you could see there was not much difference and being on the inside going into Turn One and if you got a good launch was massively beneficial.

“This year with the new surface I do not know if it will allow for it as much and on the outside you can maybe slingshot around the outside of it.”

01:40 PM BST

Zak Brown talking to Sky Sports

01:34 PM BST

Run down to turn one

A year ago, Lando Norris started on pole with his teammate Oscar Piastri second. Piastri managed to take the lead into turn one. We saw earlier today in the F2 feature race the advantage being on the inside going into the first corner rather than trying to go around the outside. Being on the inside allows that driver to ease to the outside on the exit and push the driver outside them wide.

01:32 PM BST

Lando Norris, who starts third today, speaking to Sky Sports

“There is a small chance of another shower coming through soon, so we will wait and see but we are in no rush to do anything.

“We have got our plans for the dry and if it is wet, it is a bit more freestyle. The track has probably reset a little bit so it means tyre wear is a bit higher than it would be normally.

“We are here to try and win races, I am, and I will try to win today. It is a long race. Oscar [Piastri] starts in a better position but third is not a bad position to start in. We both know what we want to do. We have to do some overtaking and have a bit of fun. That is always part of it.”

Can Lando Norris reduce Oscar Piastri’s lead in the drivers’ standings today? - Mark Thompson/Getty Images

01:30 PM BST

Poignant

Charles Leclerc starts on pole today on what would have been Jules Bianchi’s 36th birthday. Bianchi, who was Leclerc’s godfather, was involved in a serious crash at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix and died in July 2015 from injuries sustained in that crash.

01:25 PM BST

Sky Sports’ Martin Brundle on Max Verstappen

“Max will drive the wheels off it. He has said overnight we are not going to win another race this year, there is a fundamental issue with the car.

“He is pretty downbeat and [Red Bull] have been struggling for pace around here. He has put some amazing laps in. But you cannot pick a car up and carry it for a whole season.”

Max Verstappen with singer Axl Rose - Mark Thompson/Getty Images

01:22 PM BST

🟢 Pit lane is open

The drivers are out of the garages and doing some practice starts at the end of the pit lane. It is a long run down to Turn 1 so getting some good practice starts in the bag could prove pivotal, considering it is not easy to overtake around this track, making the start important. Time for some reconnaissance laps.

01:21 PM BST

A very honest Lewis Hamilton post-qualifying

01:18 PM BST

Cast your minds back a year

Oscar Piastri claimed his maiden F1 victory at this grand prix a year ago but it was not without its drama. Here is how some of the drama unfolded in Hungary last year:

Piastri eventually pits from first and comes out around three seconds behind new leader Norris. The first team order to switch positions comes from Norris’s race engineer Will Joseph. “OK Lando. Oscar has just pitted. He will likely come out just behind you. We’d like you to re-establish the order at your convenience.”

McLaren appear to have made the decision to prioritise the race leader over Norris, who is Verstappen’s closest championship challenger. 

Lap 51 of 70

Piastri runs wide after his pit stop and loses time to leader Norris. “Once you get to Lando, we will swap the positions but we want to avoid Lando having to give up a lot of race time.” The problem is Norris’s pace is superior.

Lap 56 of 70

Again Norris is reminded of the team order. “We need you to save more tyres, please, and we do want to let Oscar through,” he is told. “Err, well you should have boxed him first then, no?” Norris replies. “It doesn’t matter,” comes the response – but Norris disagrees.

Lap 57, 58 and 59 of 70

“I know you’ll do the right thing,” Norris is told. On the next two laps more messages come about tyre life as McLaren try to manage the gap between their two cars. “It’s going to get boring,” Joseph says.

Lap 61 of 70

Again Norris is reminded of his responsibilities to the team in obeying orders to let Piastri through. “Just remember every single Sunday morning meeting we have,” comes the message. “Yeah, tell him to catch up then, please,” is Norris’s flat response with the gap at 4.9sec.

Lap 64 of 70

The messages become increasingly emotional and stressed at McLaren as the gap between their cars grows. “Lando, he can’t catch you up. You’ve proved your point and it really doesn’t matter,” Joseph says.

Norris then questions the team’s strategy: “He’s on much quicker tyres. I mean I would have tried to undercut anyway. If I didn’t I would have gone long.” Still the team plead with him. “Mate, we’ve done the stop sequence in this order for the good of the team. I tried to protect you, mate. I promise I’m trying to protect you.”

Lap 66 of 70

Time is running out for McLaren to make the swap. “Lando, there are five laps to go. The way to win a championship is not by yourself, it’s with the team. You’re going to need Oscar and you’re going to need the team.”

Lap 67 of 70

It is Piastri’s turn to take to the radio. “The longer we leave this, the riskier it gets,” he says. He is told the team are managing it. Another message for Norris. “If there’s a safety car now it’s going to make it very awkward. Please do it now.” Norris slows on the pit straight and hands his team-mate the lead and consequently the win. “Yeah, you don’t need to say anything,” is the driver’s final message.

01:13 PM BST

Can anyone stop the McLarens?

A noticeably cooler and breezier day at the Hungaroring after heavy rain overnight. That may help some teams and hinder others but it would be a surprise, barring disasters, if it were not a McLaren one two at the end. Hot or cold, rain or shine the MCL39 seems to have the edge, quite often a large one.  

01:10 PM BST

Albon: There is nothing I would have done differently at Red Bull

In 2018, George Russell, Lando Norris and Alexander Albon finished first, second and third respectively in the Formula Two championship. The following year, they made their debuts in Formula One. Russell and Norris have since emerged as two of the finest drivers on the grid at Mercedes and McLaren and have 12 race wins and 57 podiums between them.

Albon’s path has been rougher. The 29-year-old had a tremendous first 12 races for Toro Rosso in his debut year. So good, in fact, that he was chosen by Red Bull to replace the under-performing Pierre Gasly alongside Max Verstappen midway through 2019. Albon fared better than his predecessor in what is surely the toughest job in F1, but was dropped at the end of 2020 after 26 races with the team.

After that came a year out of F1, racing touring cars, before returning to the grid with Williams in 2022 when he replaced Mercedes-bound Russell. Since then he has steadily rebuilt his reputation whilst the team have done similar, both rebounding from turbulent times. After 13 rounds of this season Albon has 54 points and nine top-10 finishes. The only men above him in the standings drive either a McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes or Red Bull.

01:06 PM BST

Vasseur signs new Ferrari contract but it is not worth paper it is written on

Frédéric Vasseur’s new contract at Ferrari should not come as a shock. Since being appointed for 2023 to replace Mattia Binotto the team have progressed, not just on the track but behind the scenes, too. He was, after all, the man who convinced Lewis Hamilton to leave Mercedes after a decade at the team.

In 2024 Ferrari won five races – their most in a season since 2018 – and finished just 14 points from champions McLaren. Better still, he has managed to tone down some of the team’s tendencies towards disorder, chaos and their grande casino approach to motor racing.

The last time they competed for a drivers’ championship beyond the summer break was in 2018. Too often in the last 20 years the team – and their drivers, too – became experts in turning good into bad. With Vasseur, that has started to change, though he is not yet changing bad into good.

01:02 PM BST

Red Bull confirm Tsunoda to start from the pits

01:00 PM BST

Milestone for the four-time world champion

12:57 PM BST

‘Lewis Hamilton is not ‘useless’ but must accept he is not the driver he once was’

On paper, Hamilton is performing decently. He has at least won a race in 2025 – albeit a sprint race – and is only 30 points behind Leclerc, who has had a strong season yet again. He has not been outclassed by the man 13 years his junior, but he has been second best. In only two grands prix has Hamilton finished ahead and in just five qualifying sessions of 17 has he been the lead Ferrari. In the run of five races before the Belgian Grand Prix last weekend, Hamilton actually had the stronger qualifying average of the two Ferrari drivers.

The strength of his emotions on Saturday evening are probably coloured by the events of the past couple of weeks. Let us not forget that Hamilton had a reasonably strong weekend in the rain at Silverstone, narrowly missing out on a home podium after qualifying ahead of Leclerc. Progress was being made as he drew closer to Leclerc’s qualifying pace.

Can Lewis Hamilton fight back after a tough qualifying session yesterday? - Joe Portlock/Getty Images

12:53 PM BST

Smiles everywhere ahead of the race

12:51 PM BST

Martin Brundle on Sky Sports

“Ferrari got it absolutely right with the traffic yesterday, no queuing in the pit lane and a slipstream from Max Verstappen and Charles [Leclerc] stole pole position really. It is not that easy to overtake. It is the fourth longest run down to Turn 1.

“If Charles comes out of the first corner in the lead, he will not be that easy to overtake in the first stint. But, it is two McLarens vs one Ferrari and McLaren can play any game they want.”

12:48 PM BST

Constructors’ standings

1. McLaren- 516 points
2. Ferrari- 248 points
3. Mercedes- 220 points
4. Red Bull- 192 points
5. Williams- 70 points

12:44 PM BST

Drivers’ standings

1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)- 266 points
2. Lando Norris (McLaren)- 250 points
3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)- 185 points
4. George Russell (Mercedes)- 157 points
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)- 139 points

12:41 PM BST

Starting grid

1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
3. Lando Norris (McLaren)
4. George Russell (Mercedes)
5. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
6. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
7. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber)
8. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
9. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
10. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)
11. Ollie Bearman (Haas)
12. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
13. Carlos Sainz (Williams)
14. Franco Colapinto (Alpine)
15. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
16. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
17. Esteban Ocon (Haas)
18. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber)
19. Alex Albon (Williams)
20. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) pit-lane start

12:37 PM BST

Who will take final race victory before the summer break?

We go racing for the final time before the summer break as the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc starts on pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix. The Monegasque shocked the McLarens to pip Oscar Piastri to pole by 0.026 seconds, with Lando Norris in third just 0.015 seconds back from Piastri. McLaren had looked dominant all weekend, through the three practice sessions and then the first two parts of qualifying. However Leclerc pulled out a stunning lap at the death to claim the front spot on the grid and admitted after qualifying his immense shock at taking pole.

“Today [yesterday], I do not understand anything at Formula 1. Honestly, the whole qualifying has been extremely difficult. When I say extremely difficult, it is not exaggerating. It was difficult for us to get to Q2, it was difficult for us to get to Q3. Q3, the conditions changed a little bit. Everything became a lot trickier, and I knew I just had to do a clean lap to target third. At the end of the day, it is pole position. I definitely did not expect that. I could definitely feel it (the grip change) a lot, and I was also on the lower side of the downforce, so when the rain started in Q2, I was just hoping that it would not stay there. It did not, the conditions changed which made everything very tricky, and at the end, we are on pole position. Honestly, I have no words. It is probably one of the best pole positions I have ever had. It is the most unexpected, for sure.”

Piastri, who won last time out in Spa to extend his lead at the top of the drivers’ standings to 16 points, highlighted the change of conditions hampering the McLarens during the latter stages of qualifying.

Can Oscar Piastri extend his lead at the top of the drivers’ standings today? - Clive Rose/Getty Images

“I think the wind changed a lot. It always sounds so pathetic blaming things on the wind. It did a 180 from Q2 to Q3 and meant a lot of the corners felt completely different. It was difficult to judge in those conditions and maybe not the best execution. I was surprised we could not go quicker than that.”

Norris echoed his teammate’s thoughts regarding the conditions but complimented Leclerc on his pole lap.

“From how our form is, then of course (it is disappointing), but I think Charles [Leclerc] did a good job on the last lap. He probably risked a little bit more in these conditions. The wind changed a lot and it really seemed to punish us in a bigger way it seems. Not too many complaints. We thought we both did some good laps at the end, and we were just slow. So, nothing to complain of, but Charles did a good job. It is a long lap with many corners. It is tricky, but in Q2, we showed how quick we can go, and our advantage. But as soon as the wind changed, everything went away and the last sector became even trickier again.”

George Russell starts fourth, followed by the Aston Martin duo of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. Max Verstappen’s tough weekend continued as the Dutchman starts down in eighth whilst Lewis Hamilton had a miserable qualifying, being knocked out in Q2. Hamilton had a shocker in sprint and main qualifying last weekend in Spa and endured a tough day yesterday. Whilst his Ferrari teammate Leclerc took pole, Hamilton could not even make Q3, meaning he has been out-qualified by his team-mate in 10 of the 14 rounds so far this season. The seven-time world champion, who has such a strong record around this circuit, made a startling admission after qualifying.

Lewis Hamilton was pretty self-critical after his qualifying performance yesterday - Bernadett Szabo/Reuters

“It is me every time. I am useless, absolutely useless. The team have no problem. You have seen the car is on pole. So they probably need to change driver.”

The race starts at 2pm BST.

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