Defending world drivers' champions Lando Norris won the Hungarian Grand Prix as McLaren closed the gap on title leaders Mercedes. Photo: AFP
McLaren's first success of 2026 owed as much to poor weekends, by their own high standards, for Ferrari and Mercedes as Lando Norris demonstrated that this year's title race is anything but a foregone conclusion.
The champion's victory showcased his talent and a new sense of maturity that, coupled with McLaren's excellent upgrades package, left the rest floundering in pursuit in the Hungaroring heat.
As the 2026 season evolves into a "development war" following the summer break, we look at three things we learned from the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Despite having arguably the fastest car at a circuit that suited them, a wasteful weekend of errors left Ferrari ruing poor decision-making and sloppy execution as Charles Leclerc and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton finished fourth and fifth.
