Lando Norris secured McLaren’s first victory of the 2026 Formula 1 season by stepping onto the top podium spot at the Hungarian GP. The Brit converted pole position into a dominant 15-second win over Max Verstappen, who finished second, with Kimi Antonelli completing the podium.
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After finishing first at the Hungaroring, the competitor is 91 points behind the Italian from Mercedes and although the title chances are quite difficult, they cannot be ruled out. In fact, the British press does not count the driver out, reacting to the victory last Sunday, the 26th.
Starting with The Telegraph, the newspaper stated that Norris winning is a reminder to the rest of the pack of how good he can be, having had to sit on the sidelines while George Russell and Lewis Hamilton are more active in the title fight.
“For most of the season, Lando Norris barely featured in the championship fight. Almost eight months after securing his first victory, he had to deal with a largely uncompetitive and occasionally unreliable McLaren car. Norris lacked no skill, but rather the tools to showcase his talent. At the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday, he had both in abundance as he claimed a commanding win from pole position. It was a reminder to the rest of Formula 1 of what he is still capable of,” it wrote.
Meanwhile, BBC Sport pointed out that once McLaren gave Lando the tools to fight at the front, the 2025 champion showed his rivals exactly what he is capable of.
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“It was a long-awaited performance after a difficult start to the season for the current world champion and his team, McLaren. But when McLaren finally provided him with a car with the level of performance he had become accustomed to over the last season and a half, he seized the opportunity masterfully. While Ferrari — the favorite before the race — faltered and made, in the words of their team principal Frederic Vasseur, ‘too many mistakes,’ Norris and McLaren were virtually perfect. Even considering Kimi Antonelli’s brilliant start to the season for Mercedes, this was one of the most impressive and convincing wins of the championship,” he opined.
The Guardian highlighted Antonelli’s impressive recovery from seventh to the podium as a case of damage limitation, as well as emphasizing the thrilling battle between Hamilton and Verstappen.
“However, the afternoon truly belonged to Norris and there was a palpable sense of relief and pleasure that he finally shook off the weight on his shoulders this season and that McLaren could still, secretly, be one of the teams in the title fight. They have a long way to go, especially since Antonelli proved once again that he is as indomitable in adversity as any veteran, but Norris still believes this is far from over,” it said.
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