Oscar Piastri has clinched his first-ever Formula 1 victory at the 2024 Hungarian GP, after a dramatic race filled with intra-team tensions at McLaren as the young Australian driver triumphed over teammate, Lando Norris, who initially hesitated to follow team orders to return the lead to Piastri after a strategic pit stop shuffle.
The race began with an intense battle as the McLaren duo and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen went three abreast into Turn 1. Piastri emerged as the leader and maintained his position for much of the race at the Hungaroring.
However, during the second round of pit stops, Norris was brought in first to cover off Lewis Hamilton, which resulted in him rejoining the track ahead of Piastri.
Despite several calls from the team, Norris was reluctant to yield his position back to Piastri. It wasn’t until Lap 68 of the 70-lap race that Norris finally slowed down, allowing Piastri to reclaim the lead. Piastri then drove flawlessly to secure his debut win, finishing two seconds ahead of Norris.
Piastri‘s victory not only marks a significant milestone in his career but also highlights the internal challenges at McLaren. As the team navigates these dynamics, the Hungarian Grand Prix has set the stage for an exciting remainder of the season.
Lewis Hamilton managed to secure the final podium spot for Mercedes, despite experiencing his own share of drama. The British driver had a late-race collision with Max Verstappen, which is now under investigation by the stewards.
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Ferrari take advantage at Hungarian GP
Charles Leclerc finished fourth for Ferrari, while Verstappen, who dropped to fifth after the incident with Hamilton, faces potential penalties. Carlos Sainz finished sixth for Ferrari, followed by Sergio Perez, who impressively climbed from a P16 start to finish seventh.
George Russell also had a notable performance, starting from P17 and finishing eighth. Yuki Tsunoda from RB and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll rounded out the top ten.
Fernando Alonso narrowly missed out on points, finishing eleventh for Aston Martin. Daniel Ricciardo had a disappointing race, ending up twelfth after starting ninth on the grid. Nico Hulkenberg finished thirteenth for Haas, with Alex Albon and Kevin Magnussen finishing fourteenth and fifteenth, respectively.
Further Down the Order
Valtteri Bottas continued Sauber’s struggle for points, finishing sixteenth, just ahead of Williams’ Logan Sargeant in seventeenth. Esteban Ocon had a tough race, finishing eighteenth for Alpine, with Zhou Guanyu the final classified runner in nineteenth for Kick Sauber.
The only retiree of the race was Pierre Gasly, who suffered a suspected hydraulic leak in his Alpine, ending his race prematurely.
