Race Notes - Norris takes McLaren 1-2 in Budapest

By Mark Karp

After 70 laps of the Hungaroring, Lando Norris won in his McLaren-Mercedes, 0.698 seconds ahead of his team mate Oscar Piastri.

George Russell in his Mercedes GP finished third, 21.916 seconds behind the winner.

It is the 200th Grand Prix win for McLaren, ninth of Norris’ career, and fifth of the 2025 season.

Piastri leads Norris in the Drivers’ Championship by nine points going into the summer break.

Polesitter Charles Leclerc (42.560s) in his Ferrari finished fourth, followed by Fernando Alonso (59.040s) in the Aston Martin-Mercedes was fifth, Gabriel Bortoleto (1m06.169s) in the Sauber-Ferrari was sixth, Lance Stroll (1m08.174s) is the second Aston Martin was seventh, Liam Lawson (1m09.451s) in the Racing Bulls-Honda was eighth, Max Verstappen (1m12.645s) in the Red Bull-Honda was ninth, and Kimi Antonelli in the second Mercedes took the final point in tenth.

Before the start there is a 20% of rain during the race, and the temperature lower than previous days, the race expected to be a two-stopper.

Leclerc starts on pole, with Piastri alongside on the front row, Norris and Russell on row 2, Alonso and Stroll on row 3, Bortoleto and Verstappen on row 4, and Lawson and Hadjar rounding out the top ten.

The top 11 starting on medium tyres, Lewis Hamilton and Pierre Gasly starting on hards Carlo Sainz, Nico Hulkenberg and Alex Albon on soft tyres.

Yuki Tsunoda starts from the pit lane.

At the designated time the field came around and formed on the grid. The lights went out and the race began with Leclerc leads into the first corner, Norris drops to fifth, Russell up to third, and Alonso in fourth.

Leclerc leads Piastri, Russell, Alonso, Norris, Bortoleto, Stroll, Lawson, Verstappenm, and Oliver Bearman in tenth.

On lap 2 Verstappen passes Lawson for eighth, Norris passes Alonso for fourth.

On lap 3 Leclerc leads by 1.7 seconds, Verstappen passes Stroll for seventh.

On lap 4 Leclerc sets fast lap at 1m22.278s.

On lap 5 Norris sets fast lap at 1m22.181s.

On lap 11 Hulkenberg is handed a 5-second penalty for jumping the start.

Norris is closing on Russell in third.

At lap 15 Leclerc leads Piastri by 3.1 seconds, followed by Russell (6.5s), Norris (7.3s), Alonso (19.3s), Bortoleto (21.3s), Verstappen (23.4s), Stroll (24.2s), Lawson (25.3s), and Bearman (29.4s) in tenth.

A number of drivers in the back half of the field start to pit for hard tyres.

On lap17 McLaren tells Piastri to push after Leclerc.

Veerstppan pits for hard tyres and rejoins 16th.

Leclerc says his tyres are gone.

On lap 19 Piastri pits from second place, switches to hard tyres and rejoins fifth.

The next lap Leclerc and Russell pit for hards.

Leclerc rejoins third ahead of Piastri - Norris leads Alonso.

Piastri sets fast lap at 1m21.080s.

On lap 21 Leclerc passes Alonso for second place. Norris, yet to pit, leads Leclerc by 12.6 seconds.

Russell sets fast lap at 1m20.850s.

On lap 22 Antonelli pits from 11th for hard tyres and rejoins 19th.

On lap 24 Verstappen passes Gasly for 12th.

On lap 26 Russell is battling Alonso and takes fourth place.

Leclerc tells the team that they will lose the race with their current strategy. Norris looks to be going for a one-stop strategy.

Verstappen passes Hamilton for 11th, and Hamilton has to go wide.

Verstappen passes Oscar Hadjar for tenth.

At lap 30 Norris leads Leclerc by 2.8 seconds, followed by Piastri (4.2s), Russell (12.7s), Alonso (20.7s), Bortoleto (29.3s), Stroll (30.8s), Lawson (32.9s), Verstappen (43.6s), and Hadjar (48.4s) in tenth.

On lap 32 Norris pits from the lead for hard tyres and he rejoins fourth.

On lap 35 Hadjar pits. Norris sets fast lap at 1m20.752s, and again the next lap at 1m20.726s, and again on 1m20.557s.

On lap 37 Stroll pits from sixth for hard tyres and rejoins 12th.

At lap 40 Leclerc leads Piastri by 1.8 seconds, followed by Russell (10.4s), Norris (14.6s), Alonso (33.1s), Bortoleto (38.9s), Lawson (45.3s), Verstappen eighth.

Alonso pits from fifth

On lap 40 Leclerc pits from the lead for hard tyres and rejoins fourth - Piastri takes over the lead.

Bortoleto pits for hard tyres and rejoins eighth. Lawson pits as well.

At lap 42 Piastri leads Russell, Norris, Leclerc, Verstappen, Alonso, Bortoleto, Stroll in eighth.

On lap 43 Hamilton makes his first stop from ninth for medium and rejoins 16th.

On lap 44 Russell pits for hard tyres and rejoins fourth.

Norris moves up to second, and sets the fast lap at 1m20.146s.

Antonelli passes Sainz for tenth.

On lap 46 Piastri pits for hard tyres and rejoins third.

Russell sets fast lap at 1m19.409s.

On lap 49 Verstappen pits for hard tyres and rejoins ninth.

On lap 50 Piastri passes Leclerc for second place.

Hamilton passes Gasly for 14th.

At lap 52 Norris leads Piastri by 8.3 seconds, followed by Leclerc (10.5s), Russell (15.9s), Alonso (54.1s), Bortoleto (55.5s), Stroll (58.3s), Lawson (1m01.2s), Verstappen (1m02.5s), and Antonelli (1m08.3s) in tenth.

On lap 53 Leclerc is complaining to the team about his cars handling - Russell is 2.6 seconds behind him.

Piastri is chiseling away on Norris’ lead.

At lap 60, with 10 laps to go, Norris leads Piastri by 3.5 seconds, followed by Leclerc (18.6s), Russell (19.7s), Alonso (56.8s), Bortoleto (1m00.9s), Stroll (1m03.4s), Lawson (1m05.1s), Verstappen (1m05.9s), Antonelli (1m15.6s). In tenth place.

On lap 61 Russell is on the tail on Leclerc. Norris leads Piastri by 2.4s.

On lap 62 Russell passes Leclerc into the first corner taking third place.

On lap 65 Norris leads just ahead of Piastri, the gap now 0.6 seconds, pushing through lapped traffic.

On lap 69 Piastri makes a dive into the first corner, and locks up his tyres.

On the final lap Piastri is close, but can’t find a way past Norris.

At the checkered flag Norris wins just ahead of his team mate.