Lando Norris of McLaren clinched his first win of the 2026 Formula 1 season at the Hungarian Grand Prix held on July 26 in Budapest. Although Norris started on pole position, he was initially overtaken by his teammate Oscar Piastri, who led the early stages. However, Piastri’s race took a downturn during his second pit stop when a collision with a lapped Carlos Sainz and a later gearbox failure forced him to retire with just 13 laps remaining. Norris capitalized on these setbacks to secure victory, finishing over 15 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen of Red Bull, while Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli took third place.

The race saw notable performances and penalties affecting outcomes. Charles Leclerc finished fourth for Ferrari, and his teammate Lewis Hamilton came home fifth after fighting for a podium spot but incurring a five-second penalty for speeding in the pitlane. George Russell of Mercedes, a championship contender, fell from sixth to seventh after a poor start. Other points scorers included Isack Hadjar in a Red Bull, as well as Nico Hulkenberg who earned Audi's first points of the season by finishing ninth. The Racing Bulls drivers Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad rounded out the top ten.

Following this event, the drivers’ championship remains led by Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who holds a commanding 50-point lead over second place Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari. Russell sits third, just nine points behind Hamilton, with Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris occupying fourth and fifth respectively. Norris’ victory has boosted his total to 128 points, solidifying his position in the top five. Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri round out the rest of the top eight, with significant points gaps setting the stage for the rest of the season.

In the constructors’ championship, Mercedes continue to dominate with 379 points, maintaining a sizeable lead over Ferrari who are in second with 307 points. McLaren is third with 220 points, boosted by Norris’ recent strong performance. Red Bull, despite Verstappen’s consistent results, are fourth with 177 points. The standings further down the order include Racing Bulls, Alpine, Haas, Audi, Williams, Aston Martin, and Cadillac. The F1 season now heads into its summer break, with the next race scheduled as the Dutch Grand Prix from August 21 to 23.