McLaren Makes History: 200th Victory and Another Double Podium in Budapest

The Hungarian Grand Prix marked the halfway point of the 2025 Formula 1 season, sending the championship into its traditional four-week summer break. While teams prepare for a mandatory two-week factory shutdown, attention has already begun to shift toward the future. With new technical directives from the FIA issued last month, development work on the 2026 cars is already underway behind closed doors.

Held just outside Budapest, the Hungaroring circuit is often dubbed the "stationary Monaco" due to its narrow layout and abundance of tight corners, which make overtaking particularly difficult. The main passing opportunity comes at Turn 1 at the end of the DRS zone, though even here, a significant speed differential is required to complete a move.

McLaren kicked off the race weekend with strong performances during Friday's practice sessions. Despite the dusty asphalt early on, track evolution helped lap times improve as the day went on. Lando Norris edged out teammate Oscar Piastri in both sessions by a narrow margin.

Piastri set the pace on Saturday, topping the timing charts. Heading into qualifying, McLaren’s drivers were the favorites for pole position, but a surprise result emerged. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc clinched pole position — his first of the season and the 27th of his career — with Piastri set to line up alongside him on the front row.

Norris and George Russell secured spots on the second row, while both Aston Martin drivers locked out the third row.

Although rain fell in the morning on race day, the track had dried by the time the lights went out. Leclerc maintained his lead off the line, while Piastri followed closely in second. Norris, however, dropped two positions at the start. After managing to pass Alonso later on, he was unable to get by Russell and instead switched to an alternative strategy, extending his first run on track.

After the second round of pit stops, Norris took the lead ahead of Piastri and Russell. Although he stayed within DRS range for the final 10 laps, the young Australian couldn’t find a way past on the tight and twisty Hungaroring.

In the end, Lando Norris claimed his fifth win of the season and the ninth of his career — marking a historic 200th victory for McLaren. With Piastri finishing second, the team secured its fourth consecutive one-two finish and seventh of the season. Both drivers have now stood on the podium 12 times this year. Taking third, George Russell completed the podium lineup.

Leclerc finished fourth, while Alonso and Stroll took fifth and seventh respectively. In between them, Sauber rookie Gabriel Bortoleto impressed with a career-best sixth place.

Liam Lawson and Max Verstappen also finished inside the top ten, while Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli rounded out the points in tenth.

In the drivers' standings, Oscar Piastri leads the way with 284 points, just 9 points ahead of teammate Norris. Max Verstappen sits third with 187 points, followed by George Russell in fourth.

McLaren also tops the Constructors' Championship with 559 points, well ahead of Ferrari (260), Mercedes (236), and Red Bull (194), who are locked in a fierce battle for second.

Formula 1 now heads into the summer break. The next race will take place in the Netherlands.