Lando Norris took a well-earned maiden win at the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix. He finessed a dramatic duel with his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, who finished a narrow second. This result, though, is a huge win for Norris. It dramatically increases his chances of winning the Formula 1 championship with the mid-season break looming on us.
Here’s how the race played out at the Hungaroring. Masterfully taking care of his tires enabled Norris to only pit once throughout the race. Piastri, on the other hand, took a different approach, stopping three times to switch rubber en route to his win. In the final laps, Norris found himself clinging to his lead as Piastri loomed closely behind, attempting multiple overtaking maneuvers without success.
First — George Russell (Mercedes)
Third — Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
Fourth — Leclerc’s teammate Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
Fernando Alonso brought home fifth for Aston Martin and Gabriel Bortoleto sixth for Sauber. His teammate Lance Stroll rounded out the top seven for Aston Martin. His teammate Max Verstappen only managed to finish in ninth place. Looking to his teammate for support, Lewis Hamilton had a miserable race in twelfth, ending up right where he began.
As the race progressed, Norris’s worn tires became a challenge, yet he maintained control against Piastri’s aggressive attempts to take the lead. During the closing laps of the race, Piastri made a late-race surge to pass. Unfortunately, that just wasn’t enough room for him to execute his planned move.
“I felt that was going to be my best chance. You never want to try and save it for the next lap, then it never comes, so I thought I would at least try.” – Oscar Piastri
Norris’s victory was hugely significant, not only for the 24-year-old himself, but because it boosted his championship race credentials. He is currently nine points behind Piastri on the season but has more than a shot of bringing home the first-place trophy after this last victory. The competition between the former practice squad teammates has deepened, putting team chemistry going forward into doubt.
Charles Leclerc was extremely disappointed with Ferrari’s lack of race pace. Although he himself placed fourth, he echoed that the team’s once-formidable razor-like competitive edge is dulled.
“This is so incredibly frustrating. We’ve lost all competitiveness.” – Charles Leclerc
Hamilton’s struggles continued as he expressed disappointment in his team’s performance. His comments were symptomatic of a wider panic behind the scenes at Mercedes at how competitive they’ll be this season.
“When you have a feeling, you have a feeling. There’s a lot going on in the background that is not great.” – Lewis Hamilton
Even if their drama took center stage on Saturday and Sunday, much of the attention is now shifting to the brewing rivalry between Norris and Piastri. Heading into the mid-season break, both drivers have plenty of motivation to improve on their first-half performances. They’ll be working on anticipating their opponents’ moves for the next primary races.
