Lando Norris Beats Piastri in an Epic Battle in Hungary
In a race filled with emotions and strategies, Lando Norris took the victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix, surpassing his McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, in a battle that kept fans on the edge of their seats until the last lap.The competition between the McLaren drivers culminated in a direct confrontation on lap 69 of 70, where Piastri tried to overtake Norris, but a tire lock-up in turn 1 prevented the overtake.
The strategy played a crucial role in the development of the race. Norris, after falling to fifth place on the first lap, achieved a one-stop strategy that benefited him. On the other hand, Piastri, who started second, opted for a two-stop strategy. With different strategies, Piastri, with fresher tires, cut a ten-second gap to centimeters in the last 20 laps. The tension reached its peak when Piastri tried to overtake Norris at Turn 1 on lap 69, a move that was close to being completed.
I’m dead. It was tough,” Norris said after the race. “We didn’t really plan the one-stop, but after the first lap it was our only option to get back in the fight. The last stint with Oscar closing in, I was pushing flat out… [it was] even more rewarding because of that. The perfect result today”.
Lando Norris
The race was also marked by the presence of Charles Leclerc, who started from pole position, but lost pace in the final laps, finishing in fourth place, behind George Russell. In the opening laps, Leclerc led Piastri into Turn 1, while Norris dropped to fifth. McLaren’s strategists focused their efforts on overtaking Leclerc, bringing Piastri into the pits on lap 18. Norris, opting for a one-stop strategy, took the lead. His only pit stop was on lap 30, rejoining the race close enough to lead after the second stops of Leclerc and Piastri. Piastri, after his second stop, placed third, but overtook Leclerc on lap 51, starting the pursuit of Norris. The gap was reduced to one second on lap 65, when both McLarens encountered traffic. With three laps to go, the battle for victory intensified, culminating in Piastri’s overtaking attempt on lap 69. Leclerc, frustrated by his performance, was penalized with five seconds, but still finished fourth. Fernando Alonso secured fifth place for Aston Martin, followed by an outstanding performance by Gabriel Bortoleto in sixth place. Lance Stroll, Liam Lawson, Max Verstappen, and Kimi Antonelli completed the top ten. The next F1 championship race will be held in the Netherlands on August 31.I pushed as hard as I could. After seeing Lando go for a stop, I knew I would have to overtake on track, which is much easier said than done here. It was a gamble either way. Today, unfortunately, we were on the wrong side. The team did a great job, the car came alive in the second half of the race,” commented Piastri.
Oscar Piastri
