World champion Lando Norris won his first race of the 2026 F1 season at the Hungarian Grand Prix but his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri saw a potential victory turn into a nightmare retirement due to a gearbox issue while Lewis Hamilton’s hopes of winning an eighth world championship took a blow.
Max Verstappen finished second while championship leader Kimi Antonelli rounded off the podium to extend his advantage over Hamilton, who also endured a frustrating weekend and dropped behind Charles Leclerc to fifth after he received a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit-lane. Hamilton started fifth after he received a three-place grid penalty yesterday.
Norris, last season’s champion, started on pole for the first time this season but Piastri snatched the race lead on the opening lap. Piastri was still leading with 25 laps to go, but got in a tangle with back-marker Carlos Sainz and collided with the slower Williams car.
Piastri was understandably furious, but things went from bad to worse for the Australian as he retired from the race due to a technical issue. Mercedes driver Antonelli, meanwhile, now boasts a 50-point lead over Hamilton at the top of the standings ahead of the mid-season break.
George Russell recovered from a nightmare start to finish seventh, but he is now 59 points off the championship pace.
Follow live reaction from the Hungarian GP below
F1 HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX - LATEST UPDATES
- Lando Norris wins Hungarian Grand Prix as Oscar Piastri retires
- Piastri's race fell apart after making contact with Carlos Sainz
- Hamilton given five-second penalty for speeding in pit lane
- Hamilton drops to fifth, behind team-mate Charles Leclerc
- Max Verstappen second while leader Kimi Antonelli third
- Antonelli now holds 50-point lead over Hamilton in standings
- George Russell has another race to forget after nightmare start
Norris back on top
00:00 , Will Castle
ICYMI: Malaysia added to 2026 F1 calendar as Middle East chaos triggers schedule change
23:00 , Kieran Jackson
In case you missed the big pre-race news...
Malaysia will return to the Formula 1 calendar for the first time since 2017 as the sport executes its contingency plan for the second half of the 2026 season.
After races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were cancelled in April due to the conflict in the Middle East, F1 was keen to add to its current 22-race calendar and was hopeful of racing in Bahrain in October, in between already scheduled races in Azerbaijan (26 September) and Singapore (11 October).
However, given the recent escalation in the region after the ending of the US-Iran ceasefire, F1 bosses were forced to seek alternatives and the Sepang International Circuit, just outside Kuala Lumpur, is the option they’ve landed on.
Malaysia added to 2026 F1 calendar as Middle East chaos triggers schedule change
Good day for Hulkenberg
22:00 , Will Castle
POINTS FOR NICO! 🤩
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 26, 2026
P9 is Hulk's best result in Hungary since 2010 🤯#F1 #HungarianGP pic.twitter.com/icWxxpAec0
Furious Oscar Piastri slams ‘idiot’ Carlos Sainz after costly crash during Hungarian Grand Prix
21:00 , Harry Latham-Coyle
A furious Oscar Piastri labelled Carlos Sainz an “idiot” after the pair were involved in a crash during the Hungarian Grand Prix.
“Is he f****** stupid or what?,” Piastri said over the radio to his team. “Get out of the f****** way, you idiot! Oh my god."
“Oscar, that’s Sainz that cost us that,” said Tom Stallard, Piastri’s race engineer. “Oh mate, just don’t even f****** talk to me,” the McLaren driver replied.
Furious Oscar Piastri slams ‘idiot’ Sainz after crash during Hungarian Grand Prix
Stella hails Norris for getting everything out of the car
20:00 , Will Castle
"Great to see the car being competitive for a pole position and being competitive for a victory,” McLaren team principal Andrea Stella told Sky Sports. "Great to see that hard work has been rewarded.
"Lando was in condition to squeeze every single millisecond off the car, which was good enough yesterday for the pole position - which was 12 milliseconds - but today, if anything, the pace was even more encouraging.
"As soon as Lando was in the lead he proved he had a decent margin. So great news there but obviously quite a lot of work to do for reliability."
WATCH: Piastri retires in gutting end to Hungarian GP
19:30 , Will Castle
Heartbreak for Oscar Piastri as he retires from the Hungarian GP with a technical failure 💔
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) July 26, 2026
Watch all the action from the Hungarian GP, and more, with NOW 📺 https://t.co/YLpJcWEmVL pic.twitter.com/gFwbJ1rHpn
Verstappen on THAT Hamilton overtake
19:00 , Will Castle
Max Verstappen produced a delightful sweeping overtake of Lewis Hamilton on Lap 16, which proved one of the highlights of the race.
"I saw the opportunity. It was my only one. I just went for it. We're good on the brakes, so that helped, but it was all under control,” Verstappen said.
What a move that is from Max Verstappen on Lewis Hamilton! 💥 pic.twitter.com/v5JxKZqUDe
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) July 26, 2026
Norris in title contention?
18:30 , Will Castle
“I want to believe so,” Lando Norris said when asked if he thinks he can win more races this season.
“Considering how good it felt today, I certainly want to believe that we can continue it. There’s going to be moments where we’re going to struggle more and moments that might be even better.
"We know this track is a good one for us, probably one of my best suited track of the year. This is maybe as good as it can look for now, but I certainly believe we can still win races.
"I knew it was coming. The team have put so much work in to make a car that can finally win again. It’s nice to be able to do it for them.”
Martin Brundle also believes you can’t yet write Norris out: “There's a lot of points to go still. It's a tall order, but we said that about Max Verstappen last year at this very race, and he nearly won the championship."
Antonelli reflects on performance
18:00 , Will Castle
"It was a tough race,” said Kimi Antonelli.
"It was really hard to overtake so we had to do something with strategy.
"Initially we tried to go for the one stop but then they told me the tyre was too much on the limit, so we stopped.
"With the Virtual Safety Car the two Ferraris boxed. I knew it would be very hard because I was on hards, they were on softs, but luckily we were able to keep them behind.”
Russell on his disastrous start
17:45 , Will Castle
“A terrible start is one way to put it. Nothing I could do unfortunately. Something happened,” George Russell told Sky Sports.
“I do take some satisfaction that the pace was strong. The team said it was as good as anyone out there which is a silver-lining. One thing after another.
“I was on the throttle waiting then all of a sudden the engine was going all over the place, it was revving really high and really low.
“Add it to the list of things that have happened in the first half of this year and pray things calm down in the second half.
“I’m staying positive. I’ve gone through being so disappointed with everything that’s happened in the first half of the year.
“At one point you need to pick yourself up and accept there are a lot of things out of your control that may work against you.
“There are things in my control I need to do better and I will continue to work on that but of course I’m not happy with how things have gone, but I’m going to stay positive ad keep on pushing.”
More bad luck for George Russell as his Mercedes, with new power unit, went into anti-stall at the lights 🫣 pic.twitter.com/DQFD0BCOGe
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) July 26, 2026
Why did Hamilton get a five-second penalty?
17:30 , Will Castle
Lewis Hamilton was dealt yet another five-second penalty which cost him fourth place at the Hungarian GP, with Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc the beneficiary.
Hamilton was caught speeding in the pit lane as he tried to get out in front of Kimi Antonelli under Virtual Safety Car, but overdid it by just 0.1kph.
Hamilton reacted: "They're handing out penalties like crazy!”
Why was Lewis Hamilton handed a five-second penalty at the Hungarian GP?
2026 race calendar after summer break
17:15 , Will Castle
We’ve now got a four-week summer break before returning to action at Zandvoort. Here’s how the rest of the 2026 race calendar shapes up:
ROUND 12 - NETHERLANDS (sprint weekend)
Circuit Zandvoort - 21-23 August
ROUND 13 - ITALY
Monza Circuit - 4-6 September
ROUND 14 - SPAIN (Madrid)
Circuito de Madring - 11-13 September
ROUND 15 - AZERBAIJAN
Baku City Circuit - 25-27 September
ROUND 16 - SINGAPORE (sprint weekend)
Marina Bay Street Circuit - 9-11 October
ROUND 17 - UNITED STATES
Circuit of the Americas, Austin - 23-25 October
ROUND 18 - MEXICO
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City - 30 October-1 November
ROUND 19 - BRAZIL
Interlagos Circuit, Sao Paulo - 6-8 November
ROUND 20 - LAS VEGAS
Las Vegas Street Circuit - 19-21 November
ROUND 21 - QATAR
Lusail International Circuit - 27-29 November
ROUND 22 - ABU DHABI
Yas Marina Circuit - 4-6 December
Piastri speaks on Sainz collision
17:07 , Will Castle
"I was crashed into by Carlos [Sainz] and, in the moment, I was hoping maybe they would not pit Lando [Norris] because of that incident to at least give me the chance to stay in the lead but I think that's not very reasonable,” Oscar Piastri told Sky Sports after his DNF.
"I was just more very upset in the moment about what had happened. I think the timing of my pit stop was fine, we wanted to beat Lewis and that's what we needed to do to."
Constructor standings after Hungarian GP
17:00 , Will Castle
1. Mercedes - 358 points
2. Ferrari - 285 points
3. McLaren - 195 points
4. Red Bull - 151 points
5. Alpine - 61 points
6. Racing Bulls - 61 points
7. Haas - 21 points
8. Williams - 11 points
9. Audi - 10 points
10. Aston Martin - 1 point
11. Cadillac - 0 points
Driver standings after Hungarian GP
16:45 , Will Castle
1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) - 219 points
2. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) - 169 points
3. George Russell (Mercedes) - 160 points
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 138 points
5. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 128 points
6. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 109 points
7. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 92 points
8. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) - 68 points
9. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) - 43 points
10. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) - 42 points
11. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) -23 points
12. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) - 19 points
13. Ollie Bearman (Haas) - 18 points
14. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) - 10 points
15. Carlos Sainz (Williams) - 6 points
16. Alex Albon (Williams) - 5 points
17. Esteban Ocon (Haas) - 3 points
18. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) - 1 point
19. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) - 0 points
20. Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac) - 0 points
21. Sergio Perez (Cadillac) - 0 points
22. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) - 0 points
Antonelli on 'damage limitation' of podium finish
16:37 , Will Castle
"Of course I'm very happy and it's the best way to go into the summer break,” said Kimi Antonelli, who finished third.
“I think today was big damage limitation and we've got to jeep pushing because the second half is going to be hard, but we'll try our best."
RACE REPORT: How Lando Norris took advantage of Oscar Piastri’s misfortune to secure first win of F1 season
16:30 , Will Castle
Lando Norris cashed in on Oscar Piastri’s bizarre collision with a back-marker to win the Hungarian Grand Prix – as Lewis Hamilton lost further ground to Kimi Antonelli in his bid for a record eighth world championship.
Norris surrendered the lead to Piastri following a sloppy start from pole position, but he took advantage of his McLaren team-mate tangling with Carlos Sainz – as he attempted to put a lap on the Williams driver midway through the race – to land the first victory of his title defence.
Piastri ran off the road after his front-right tyre made contact with the rear-left of Sainz’s Williams, losing him up to two seconds.
Norris immediately stopped for tyres and emerged in the net lead. Norris then passed Antonelli on lap 46 before cantering to the chequered flag.
How Norris took advantage of Piastri’s misfortune to secure first win of F1 season
Little bit of the bubbly
16:21 , Will Castle
Verstappen happy with second after going beyond expectations
16:15 , Will Castle
"I didn't expect to be on the podium today. But we worked hard for it,” said Max Verstappen, who finished second
"The start was decent to get through Turns One and Two. Then after the first stop to get back ahead of Lewis under braking into Turn One. Then just trying to survives on the compounds and make the right calls with the strategy too.
"Very happy considering to be second here."
Norris savours victory
16:12 , Will Castle
Norris gives his post-race thoughts
16:02 , Will Castle
“I don’t know what happened, to be honest,” race winner Lando Norris said, reflecting on his poor start to the race. “I just kept losing the rear, I had like three or four big snaps. It felt horrible.
“Oscar [Piastri] did a good job to get the cut back and get back past. I think I was just a bit wide in the dirt, and game over for the first lap.
“But I was pushing like hell to try to force him into a mistake or something. My pace today was probably some of the best pace I’ve ever had. The car was beautiful to drive and I felt very confident, so a great race.
“And to get it back in terms of going long, which is certainly not what I was expecting, but the pace was so good I could always extend the stints, and fresh tyres then always won me the race.
“I’m just happy to be back and see the number one again.”
Norris celebrates victory
15:54 , Will Castle
Hungarian GP results
15:52 , Will Castle
1. Lando Norris
2. Max Verstappen
3. Kimi Antonelli
4. Charles Leclerc
5. Lewis Hamilton
6. Isaac Hadjar
7. George Russell
8. Liam Lawson
9. Nico Hulkenberg
10. Arvin Lindblad
Antonelli increases gap as championship leader again
15:50 , Will Castle
It’s another great weekend for Kimi Antonelli whose podium means he stretches his lead at the top to 50 points, with Lewis Hamilton’s title hopes taking a hit.
Norris reacts to first win of season
15:48 , Will Castle
“Woooo! Beautiful! Car was unbelievable today. Well done guys,” Lando Norris says over the team radio.
“Incredible. Flying. Thank you so much for the car. Nice to finally be able to do it all for you again.
“It feels like it’s been a while. Congrats, very well deserved. Hard work pays off. Just keep it going. Thank you very much. I love you all.”
Leclerc finishes ahead of penalised Hamilton
15:45 , Will Castle
Charles Leclerc takes fourth as he capitalises on Ferrari team-mate Lewis Hamilton’s five-second penalty.
Hamilton finishes in fifth.
LANDO NORRIS WINS HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX!
15:44 , Will Castle
Lando Norris cruises to victory!
Max Verstappen takes second while Kimi Antonelli secures a big podium, his ninth of the season.
LANDO NORRIS WINS THE HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX!! 🏁🏆🎉#F1 #HungarianGP pic.twitter.com/tYrJ7ZuI9C
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 26, 2026
Norris nursing it home as he enters final lap (Lap 70/70)
15:43 , Will Castle
Lando Norris is still extending his lead but is now keeping it well in the borders as he enters the final lap of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Norris is about to pick up his first victory of the 2026 season!
Leclerc in five seconds of Hamilton (Lap 69/70)
15:42 , Will Castle
Closing in on the final lap and Charles Leclerc is within five seconds of Lewis Hamilton, who is at real risk of losing fourth here due to his penalty.
This will go all the way to the line.
Hamilton has reacted to his sanction: "They're handing out penalties like crazy!”
Norris and Verstappen looking good for one-two (Lap 67/70)
15:40 , Will Castle
Lando Norris is cruising towards victory, while Max Verstappen looks good for second as he sits 5.3 seconds ahead of Kimi Antonelli, who still has Lewis Hamilton all over his tail.
Hamilton handed five-second penalty! (Lap 66/70)
15:37 , Will Castle
Disaster for Lewis Hamilton! He’s been handed a five-second penalty for a second consecutive race for speeding through the pit lane.
Antonelli caught in heavy traffic (Lap 63/70)
15:34 , Will Castle
Kimi Antonelli has been badly delayed by traffic in his pursuit of Max Verstappen, giving him a lot of breathing space.
Lewis Hamilton is now under investigation for speeding in the pit lane.
Hamilton noted for speeding in pit lane (Lap 61/70)
15:32 , Will Castle
Big concern for Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari - he’s been noted for speeding through the pit lane, which could result in a five-second penalty.
It comes moments after he overdoes it on the way into Turn Two and very nearly spins his Ferrari around.
Lando Norris has meanwhile just gone beyond track limits and will be getting a telling-off - he’s got this in the bad, he doesn’t need to push it.
Top-five with 10 laps to go
15:29 , Will Castle
1. Lando Norris
2. Max Verstappen +5.9
3. Kimi Antonelli +7.0
4. Lewis Hamilton +1.6
5. Charles Leclerc +6.4
Hamilton goes ahead of Antonelli - before giving place back (Lap 58/70)
15:27 , Will Castle
Hamilton just comes out in front of Antonelli from the pits - however, Ferrari have pre-empted that he might have gone ahead after re-entering under Virtual Safety Car, and have given Antonelli the position back to avoid a penalty.
PIASTRI OUT! (Lap 56/70)
15:24 , Will Castle
Oscar Piastri has lost his gear box and is out of what at one point looked like such a promising race for the McLaren man!
The Virtual Safety Car is out - Kimi Antonelli and Mercedes will be cursing that.
Lando Norris, meanwhile, is taking going into the pits to ensure he can finish on fresh tyres - as has Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
Heartbreak for Oscar Piastri as he retires from the Hungarian GP with a technical failure 💔
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) July 26, 2026
Watch all the action from the Hungarian GP, and more, with NOW 📺 https://t.co/YLpJcWEmVL pic.twitter.com/gFwbJ1rHpn
Hamilton and Verstappen catching Piastri with Norris cruising (Lap 55/70)
15:23 , Will Castle
Lando Norris is 12.4 seconds in front with 15 laps to go, and now it’s very much looking like this could be a battle for second and third.
Lewis Hamilton is gaining on Oscar Piastri, as is Max Verstappen.
Antonelli pits for second time (Lap 54/70)
15:21 , Will Castle
Mercedes do abandon the one-pit strategy and switches Antonelli’s tyres for a second time to be safe.
He comes out still well ahead of George Russell and will now show some speed to reel in the top five.
Another race to forget for Russell (Lap 52/70)
15:19 , Will Castle
George Russell is back in the points after his disastrous start but seventh place will still sting for the Mercedes driver.
He’s nearly 20 seconds behind Charles Leclerc in sixth.
Yellow flag out with Sergio Perez crawling (Lap 51/70)
15:16 , Will Castle
This looks like it might be a double DNF for Cadillac.
Sergio Perez is crawling along the track and just about manages to get back to the pits.
No Virtual Safety Car needed.
Top-10 after 50 laps
15:15 , Will Castle
1. Lando Norris
2. Kimi Antonelli +4.6
3. Oscar Piastri +4.4
4. Lewis Hamilton +2.7
5. Max Verstappen +3.5
6. Charles Leclerc +3.8
7. George Russell +17.2
8. Isaac Hadjar +11.8
9. Arvin Lindblad +20.3
10. Gabriel Bortoleto +4.1
Norris takes the lead (Lap 46/70)
15:11 , Will Castle
We didn’t think it would take too long for Lando Norris to pass Kimi Antonelli on his fresher tyres, and that’s exactly what he’s done.
He comes down the inside on the brakes into turn one and now leads. He’s now eight seconds clear of Piastri.
Expect Antonelli to pit in the next couple laps.
Sainz gets five-second penalty (Lap 45/70)
15:09 , Will Castle
Carlos Sainz has been given a five-second time penalty for causing that crucial collision with Oscar Piastri.
The Aussie will probably not think that’s enough - it might have cost him the GP.
Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc has been noted for a possible yellow-flag infringement.
Here’s the Sainz/Piastri moment 💥#F1 #HungarianGP pic.twitter.com/IYkdAQYTTi
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 26, 2026
Norris on Antonelli's tail (Lap 45/70)
15:08 , Will Castle
Kimi Antonelli has been on his tyres for 22 laps and Lando Norris is now right on his tail.
He’s proving a bit of a problem for the McLaren man, proving tricky work to pass. It seems he can only hold off for so long...
Hamilton hits Alonso as Verstappen pits (Lap 42/70)
15:06 , Will Castle
There was more drama between a backmarker and a front-runner as Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso make contact.
Meanwhile, Max Verstappen has just pitted and comes out still ahead of Charles Leclerc. He’s on the soft and is questioning the choice, as he’ll finish the race on those.
Piastri makes contact with Sainz and Norris takes advantage (Lap 39/70)
15:01 , Will Castle
Big moment!
Oscar Piastri makes contact with Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris has had the pace to take advantage, pitting and coming out just in front of his McLaren team-mate to take the net lead of the Hungarian Grand Prix!
Sainz is being investigated for that collision. Piastri is fuming at his team for bringing him out into a whole load of traffic.
Hungarian Grand Prix
14:58 , Will Castle
Leclerc pits as Hamilton worries about tyres (Lap 36/70)
14:56 , Will Castle
Lando Norris isn’t the only one worried about his tyres - Lewis Hamilton is having doubts over the strategy.
Both are staying out for now - but Antonelli looks set to come in amid concerns over the one-stop tactic.
Meanwhile, Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc is in.
Piastri pits after Norris request denied (Lap 34/70)
14:51 , Will Castle
Lando Norris wants to pit after gaining a bit of ground of Oscar Piastri but McLaren responds: “We can’t I’m afraid.”
“You mean you won’t let me? I’m miles faster,” Norris says.
And now, Piastri has pitted. That’ll frustrate the defending champion.
Hamilton pits again (Lap 32/70)
14:49 , Will Castle
Ferrari would’ve liked to get Lewis Hamilton out on fresh tyres in front of Red Bull’s Isaac Hadjar... but that is not the case. Max Verstappen’s team-mate could end up really holding him up here.
Norris goes wide again (Lap 29/70)
14:45 , Will Castle
Lando Norris has been going wide on a fair few turns and Oscar Piastri is now opening the gap on his McLaren team-mate.
Russell pits amid fightback (Lap 28/70)
14:44 , Will Castle
George Russell has fought back to seventh but has opted to pit to get on the hard tyres and get some grip.
He gets away pretty slowly, hinting at maybe more issues with the Mercedes car.
Top-10 after 25 laps
14:41 , Will Castle
1. Piastri
2. Norris +0.6
3. Verstappen +4.3
3. Hamilton +2.0
5. Leclerc +0.9
6. Antonelli +3.8
7. Russell +11.4
8. Hadjar +4.5
9. Bortolet +14.1
10. Lawson +4.6
Gap opens behind McLarens (Lap 24/70)
14:40 , Will Castle
Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris are now comfortably leading the chasing trio of Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
Kimi Antonelli, who has just received a warning for track limits, is five seconds behind Leclerc in sixth.
Antonelli pits (Lap 23/70)
14:37 , Will Castle
Kimi Antonelli has now decided to switch to the hard tyres, putting Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris back into the one-two.
The Mercedes man now has six laps of fresher tyres than Piastri.
Bottas out (Lap 22/70)
14:35 , Will Castle
In case there was any questions over Valtteri Bottas’ involvement in this race, he will DNF after his Cadillac developed a break cooling issue.
Piastri and Norris stay ahead of Verstappen as Antonelli takes lead (Lap 19/70)
14:32 , Will Castle
Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris are back in the action and came out ahead of Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, with the pair blasting past Isaac Hadjar.
Kimi Antonelli is in the lead by 12.4 seconds but still needs to pit.
Cadillac issue delays Piastri pit (Lap 18/70)
14:29 , Will Castle
There’s a yellow flag in the pit lane after Valtteri Bottas' Cadillac very slowly enters the pit lane slip road with his car’s brakes on fire.
He uses the wall to slow him down and is still not out.
McLaren had called Oscar Piastri into the pits from the race lead but quickly changed their minds, delaying it for another lap. Both Piastri and Lando Norris have now changed to the hard tyres.
Verstappen bites back (Lap 16/70)
14:27 , Will Castle
The crowd loved that!
Verstappen is late on the breaks and deftly squeezes through to respond to Hamilton’s overtake.
What a move that is from Max Verstappen on Lewis Hamilton! 💥 pic.twitter.com/v5JxKZqUDe
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) July 26, 2026
Hamilton storms past Verstappen (Lap 15/70)
14:26 , Will Castle
Lewis Hamilton is ahead of Max Verstappen after the Dutchman also changed his tyres.
George Russell is meanwhile on the cusp of the points as he’s comes into 11th.
Hungarian Grand Prix
14:24 , Will Castle
Hamilton pits (Lap 14/70)
14:23 , Will Castle
Lewis Hamilton has pitted and put on the hard tyres, with Ferrari looking to undercut Red Bull and Max Verstappen.
He comes out ahead of Nico Hulkenberg in ninth... and has already passed Isaac Hadjar on the outside.
Top-10 after 10 laps
14:19 , Will Castle
1. Piastri
2. Norris +1.2
3. Verstappen +2.4
3. Hamilton +0.6
5. Leclerc +1.1
6. Antonelli +1.5
7. Hadjar +5.6
8. Lawson +4.8
9. Linblad +3.5
10. Hulkenberg +1.8
Hamilton on Verstappen's tail (10/70)
14:17 , Will Castle
Lewis Hamilton is right on Max Verstappen’s tail, but the pair are dropping further behind the McLaren leaders as they joust for third.
Lance Stroll has just become the first to pit.
Verstappen fumes over Red Bull car (8/70)
14:15 , Will Castle
Max Verstappen gives his Red Bull car another negative report over the team radio.
"Also again, the damping failed for sure. The car is completely ****."
Quiet start from Antonelli (Lap 6/70)
14:14 , Will Castle
No big moves from Kimi Antonelli so far who is a second behind the Ferrari boys on the soft tyres.
The championship leader gained that place from his struggling team-mate George Russell, who is right now on the tail of Gabriel Bortoleto in 14th.
Piastri and Norris lead (Lap 4/70)
14:10 , Will Castle
Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris still are sat in one-two, but it’s a very close first couple laps to this race with Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton looking for a way through.
George Russell is making his way back up and has just gone to 15th.
He’s behind Fernando Alonso, who has been noted for forcing Ollie Bearman off the track.
Russell drops down to 21st after nightmare start (Lap 1/70)
14:07 , Will Castle
It’s an absolute nightmare start for George Russell, and this is already becoming a race to forget.
His Mercedes car goes into anti-stall on the grid and he drops down to 21st.
Norris surrenders lead as aggressive Piastri goes ahead (Lap 1/70)
14:06 , Will Castle
Oscar Piastri has taken the lead on the first lap after Lando Norris runs wide, allowing the Australian to pass his McLaren team-mate.
Charles Leclerc was the big loser, though, with Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen going ahead of him as he dropped down three places.
LIGHTS OUT!
14:03 , Will Castle
Lights out and away we go! The Hungarian Grand Prix is UNDERWAY!
Formation lap underway
14:01 , Will Castle
Off we go...
Five-minute countdown!
13:55 , Will Castle
Just five minutes until lights out at the Hungarian Grand Prix!
Will Lewis Hamilton slash the gap on Kimi Antonelli at the top of the standings? Can defending champion Lando Norris win his first race of the year? Or will someone else reign over Budapest?
We’ll have all the action, up next.
What's the weather in Budapest?
13:53 , Will Castle
It’s a scorcher in the Hungarian capital today as we near the start of the race.
Temperatures are at 31°C with some cloud cover, as track temperatures soar to 50°C. Tyres will be getting punished this afternoon.
However, there is a slight chance of rain - 20 percent to be exact - with the strong winds potentially causing conditions to shift.
Russell and Verstappen give final pre-race thoughts
13:51 , Will Castle
George Russell, who starts sixth, tells Sky Sports: "Definitely going to be trying [to overtake].
"I think it is going to challenging as everyone will have the ability to use all their energy down the main straight.
"But I think tyre deg will be quite high so that should give good opportunities."
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who starts fourth, meanwhile says: “It will be a tough, long race. We’ll see what we can do. Hopefully the car is a little bit more together, but it’s a bit difficult to say.
“I don’t really know where we stand or how competitive we can be.
“I’m starting a little bit further ahead because of the penalties. Hopefully we get positively surprised in the race.”
Antonelli says 'there's a lot to play for' after penalty
13:49 , Will Castle
“It’s a pity to have lost three places, but it is what it is,” said Kimi Antonelli, who starts seventh on the grid. “The most important is that we try to maximise today’s race.
“The pace is good. It’s very warm today, a bit gustier as well, so it’s going to be interesting to see.
“The race pace has been stronger than our single-lap pace, so I think there’s a lot to play for.
“Degradation is going to be big, so we’ll try to do our best. I’m really looking forward to it, and hopefully we can do a good race.”
Hungarian national anthem sets the tone
13:47 , Will Castle
A rousing rendition of the Hungarian national anthem has well and truly just set the tone for the race to come.
Flags of red, white and green wave in the grand stand to make a flag before fighter jets with trails of the same colour fly over the Hungaroring.
Hungarian GP grid
13:46 , Will Castle
With less than 15 minutes until lights out, this is how the grid looks for the Hungarian GP:
Here’s how the drivers line up for the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix 👀#F1 #HungarianGP pic.twitter.com/UnJQsAZk7v
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 25, 2026
Norris hoping for first win of 2026
13:43 , Will Castle
Defending champion Lando Norris has had a tough time of things in the McLaren car, just a season on from his stunning world championship triumph.
He has been unable to seal a win, let alone crack the podium, but starts on pole in Budapest.
“Very happy to be back on top, tough quali! These guys [Ferrari] were very quick, but we’ve seemed quick this weekend from the upgrades. It’s a track where you certainly want to be on pole,” he said after qualifying.
“I pushed it a bit more on the last lap, we did it in the end, very pleased for the team.
“I’m in the best position, these guys get good starts, I’m expecting a tough race. It’ll be interesting to see what tyre they start on.”
'Sometimes you just can't catch a break' - Hamilton laments grid penalty
13:40 , Will Castle
Lewis Hamilton was not a happy man to learn that he had been dropped to fifth on the grid, having come so close to pole.
“Sometimes you just can’t catch a break,” he wrote on Instagram. “Another weekend when I’ve been feeling great throughout all the sessions, but then it just falls apart. To go from being so close to pole to then starting P5 is extremely frustrating.
“I always do my best to keep positive — sport is always about the highs and lows, but it’s also in the margins. Every point counts and you have to seize every opportunity. After 3 penalties in 3 weekends, it’s becoming difficult to hang on to that postivity.
“Still, I won’t let the setbacks take away from the progress we’ve been making as a team. With the pace we have, I’m hopeful we can get something out of the race tomorrow. The car has been feeling better and better, and we’ve been competitive all weekend.”
NEWS: Malaysia added to 2026 F1 calendar as Middle East chaos triggers schedule change
13:37 , Will Castle
Some big F1 news away from Budapest has emerged today...
Malaysia will return to the Formula 1 calendar for the first time since 2017 as the sport executes its contingency plan for the second half of the 2026 season.
After races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were cancelled in April due to the conflict in the Middle East, F1 was keen to add to its current 22-race calendar and was hopeful of racing in Bahrain in October, in between already scheduled races in Azerbaijan (26 September) and Singapore (11 October).
However, given the recent escalation in the region after the ending of the US-Iran ceasefire, F1 bosses were forced to seek alternatives and the Sepang International Circuit, just outside Kuala Lumpur, is the option they’ve landed on.
Malaysia added to 2026 F1 calendar as Middle East chaos triggers schedule change
Drivers arrive at the Hungaroring
13:34 , Will Castle
What is the 2026 race calendar?
13:31 , Will Castle
ROUND 11 - HUNGARY
Hungaroring, Budapest - 24-26 July
ROUND 12 - NETHERLANDS (sprint weekend)
Circuit Zandvoort - 21-23 August
ROUND 13 - ITALY
Monza Circuit - 4-6 September
ROUND 14 - SPAIN (Madrid)
Circuito de Madring - 11-13 September
ROUND 15 - AZERBAIJAN
Baku City Circuit - 25-27 September
ROUND 16 - SINGAPORE (sprint weekend)
Marina Bay Street Circuit - 9-11 October
ROUND 17 - UNITED STATES
Circuit of the Americas, Austin - 23-25 October
ROUND 18 - MEXICO
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City - 30 October-1 November
ROUND 19 - BRAZIL
Interlagos Circuit, Sao Paulo - 6-8 November
ROUND 20 - LAS VEGAS
Las Vegas Street Circuit - 19-21 November
ROUND 21 - QATAR
Lusail International Circuit - 27-29 November
ROUND 22 - ABU DHABI
Yas Marina Circuit - 4-6 December
How to watch Hungarian GP
13:28 , Will Castle
The Hungarian Grand Prix will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom. Sky’s coverage of Sunday’s race starts at 12:30pm (BST).
Sky Sports subscribers can watch all the action from Budapest on the Sky Go app. If you’re not a Sky customer, you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription.
In the United States, every practice, qualifying and race session will be streamed on Apple TV this year. You can stream Apple TV for FREE, with Apple TV’s seven-day free trial.
PREVIEW: Aston Martin in last-chance saloon to keep Fernando Alonso in Formula 1
13:25 , Kieran Jackson
They say seeing is believing. And seeing the leaderboard in qualifying last weekend at Spa-Francorchamps, specifically the initial phase, really did take some believing.
For a team whose underlying goal was to be a Formula One world championship contender in 2026, Aston Martin’s opening 10 races have been nothing short of a calamity. From “nerve damage” safety concerns at the season opener in Australia to countless power unit failures, Aston’s new partnership with Honda has been woeful. What’s more, they previously used Mercedes engines, by far and away the most powerful on the grid in the sport’s new electrical energy-focused era.
And in Q1 at the last race in Belgium, Aston drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll were both more than two seconds slower than the next-slowest car, new team Cadillac, and more than four seconds off the frontrunners.
But this weekend, they have a big upgrade:
Farewell, Fernando? Torrid Aston Martin in last-chance saloon to keep Alonso
Constructor standings ahead of Hungarian GP
13:22 , Will Castle
From a lead of more than 100 points, Mercedes are getting pegged back in the constructors’ championship:
1. Mercedes - 358 points
2. Ferrari - 285 points
3. McLaren - 195 points
4. Red Bull - 151 points
5. Alpine - 61 points
6. Racing Bulls - 61 points
7. Haas - 21 points
8. Williams - 11 points
9. Audi - 10 points
10. Aston Martin - 1 point
11. Cadillac - 0 points
Driver standings as Antonelli leads by 45 points
13:19 , Will Castle
We know for sure that Antonelli will head into the summer break in front; but will he have an even bigger lead?
Here’s the top-10:
1. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) - 204 points
2. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) - 159 points
3. George Russell (Mercedes) - 154 points
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 126 points
5. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 103 points
6. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 92 points
7. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 91 points
8. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) - 60 points
9. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) - 42 points
10. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) - 39 points
Hamilton and Antonelli hit with grid penalties
13:16 , Will Castle
Lewis Hamilton was dealt a blow in his bid for a record eighth world championship after he was demoted to fifth on the grid for Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix.
Hamilton was served a setback after just missing out on pole as he was sanctioned with a three-place grid drop over 90 minutes after the end of qualifying.
The seven-time world champion was deemed guilty of blocking Oscar Piastri at the opening corner as the McLaren driver geared up for a quick lap. Ferrari failed to tell Hamilton about the oncoming Piastri and the mistake could be costly in the 41-year-old’s title tilt.
However in a subsequent twist, championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who Hamilton trails by 45 points, was also served with a three-place grid penalty on the charge of failing to slow sufficiently under yellow flags following Max Verstappen’s last-corner spin.
He will line up from seventh, two places behind Hamilton.
Lewis Hamilton and title leader Kimi Antonelli hit by grid penalties in Hungary
Full qualifying results as Norris takes pole
13:13 , Will Castle
QUALIFYING CLASSIFICATION
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 25, 2026
Lando Norris takes his first pole of the season 👏#F1 #HungarianGP pic.twitter.com/4vhIq9ZzW9
When does the Hungarian GP start?
13:10 , Will Castle
The Hungarian Grand Prix kicks off at 2pm today at the Hungaroring.
Good afternoon!
13:06 , Will Castle
Hello there and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Lando Norris starts on pole after beating title-chasing Lewis Hamilton in qualifying by just 0.012 seconds, though the Ferrari driver was demoted to fifth after being hit with a grid penalty.
In a subsequent twist, championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who Hamilton trails by 45 points, was also served with a three-place grid penalty on the charge of failing to slow sufficiently under yellow flags following Max Verstappen’s last-corner spin.
We’ll have all the action from the Hungaroring, right here.
