Norris wins first race of season, Antonelli extends lead to 50 points

Successful damage limitation: Kimi Antonelli extended his lead in the overall World Championship standings. Source: AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic

The last Formula 1 race before the summer break was a tough one. Max Verstappen achieved his best result of the season, Lando Norris took his first win. Also impressive was championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who made it onto the podium despite a grid penalty.

World Championship leader Kimi Antonelli successfully limited the damage before the Formula 1 summer break during the first seasonal win of world champion Lando Norris. Handicapped by a three-place grid penalty, the Mercedes teenager saved himself onto the podium as third in the hot tire poker of Hungary.

Antonelli engaged in a thrilling duel in the final laps with Ferrari star Lewis Hamilton, who received a late five-second penalty. The Italian also benefited from a late retirement of Norris's teammate Oscar Piastri, who had to park his McLaren due to a gearbox issue while on course for the podium. Second behind Norris was Max Verstappen in the Red Bull with his best result of the season. "I love you all," Norris breathed into the radio after crossing the finish line.

Antonelli extended his championship lead with a huge fighting spirit after the Grand Prix in Budapest, a track that doesn't particularly suit Mercedes, to 50 points. Second in the drivers' standings remains Hamilton, who had to settle for fifth place. Nico Hülkenberg raced from tenth on the grid to ninth and into the points – his first points for Audi.

For the First Time, No Mercedes on Pole

After a four-week summer break, Formula 1 continues its season on August 23 with the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort. With the short-term addition of Malaysia as the host for the Bahrain Grand Prix on October 4, there are still twelve rounds on the program.

The podium in Budapest: Lando Norris (2nd from left) with Max Verstappen (left) and Kimi Antonelli (right). Source: REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo

In a thrilling finish, Norris secured his first pole position as world champion. For the first time this season, no Mercedes driver was at the front. Norris snatched what was almost a certain 105th career pole from record champion Hamilton by a tiny margin of 0.012 seconds.

Read also

• Weltplus article: Thomas Wessinghage — "Decline begins at 30 – and you don't notice it"

Then it became chaotic. Both Hamilton, for impeding Norris's teammate Piastri, and Antonelli, for driving too fast during a yellow flag phase, received grid penalties. Hamilton dropped from position two to five, Antonelli from four to seven.

Piastri Outduels Norris

"Of course it's a shame that we got these three places, but that's how it is," said Antonelli before the start. "The important thing is to make the most of the race. The pace is good, it's windier and a bit warmer."

40 years after Formula 1's debut in the former Eastern Bloc, Norris led the field into the first corner in Hungary. But especially Charles Leclerc in the second Ferrari, who like Hamilton had started on softs in contrast to the competition, fell back. Antonelli's teammate George Russell barely got off the line and slid to the back of the field. After a few hundred meters, Norris lost his lead to Piastri, while Verstappen in the Red Bull took up the pursuit of the McLaren duo.

The four-time world champion, who again complained vehemently about the performance of his car, had Hamilton in his rearview mirror. The Englishman couldn't get past the Dutchman and therefore brought forward his pit stop in the 14th lap.