Motorsports
Desert Duel Decider
Abu Dhabi is set for a nerve-testing finish as Lando Norris steps into the biggest race of his career. Holding a slim 12-point lead heading into Sunday’s finale, the McLaren driver knows a podium would seal his first Formula 1 world title. But momentum sits firmly with Max Verstappen, who has clawed his way back into contention with five wins in his last eight races.
McLaren arrives at the Yas Marina Circuit under pressure after a difficult stretch. The team’s misjudged pit call in Qatar allowed Verstappen to snatch a win despite Oscar Piastri topping every session that weekend. Two weeks earlier, both McLaren cars were disqualified in Las Vegas for excessive plank wear. Those setbacks reopened the door for Verstappen, who has spent the past month capitalizing on every mistake with near-perfect drives.
Piastri remains the dark horse in this three-way fight. Sixteen points behind Norris, he needs a win or second place plus some luck, but his strong form in Qatar has revived confidence. The Australian, managed by former F1 driver Mark Webber, is also chasing history as the first champion from his country since Alan Jones in 1980.
History adds another layer to this showdown. The last time more than two drivers arrived at the final race with a shot at the title was in 2010, when Sebastian Vettel surged from third in the standings to take the crown while rivals faltered. Norris knows this well. Although the McLaren has been the strongest car for much of the year, the team’s recent missteps have given Verstappen more than enough reason to believe he can equal Michael Schumacher’s run of five straight championships.
All three title contenders have seven wins apiece this season, with Mercedes’ George Russell taking the other two. McLaren locked up the constructors’ championship early and eased development, helping Red Bull close the gap and giving this finale its razor-thin margins.
Norris has kept his approach calm, crediting his team for the season’s success and vowing to give everything in the final push. Verstappen’s job is clear he must win and hope Norris finishes fourth or lower. Piastri’s path is narrower but still alive.
Around them, storylines continue. Mercedes hopes to grab second in the constructors’ race ahead of Red Bull. Yuki Tsunoda prepares for his final drive with the team before handing his seat to rookie Isack Hadjar. And Lewis Hamilton, a five-time winner in Abu Dhabi, aims to avoid ending his season without a podium.
After a year of unpredictable swings, three drivers arrive with a shot at the crown. Norris may have the advantage on paper, but under the lights of Yas Marina, nothing is guaranteed.
Nine-time world rally champion Sebastien Ogier and co-driver Julien Ingrassia were taken to hospital after a high-speed crash while leading the Rally of Finland on Saturday.
Ogier was traveling at around 130 kph when he lost control of his Toyota on a series of turns along a forest dirt road. The car rolled several times before hitting a tree.
Both men managed to get out of the vehicle without assistance before they were transported to a hospital in Tampere for precautionary examinations, according to the World Rally Championship.
Toyota assistant team principal Juha Kankkunen said he had spoken with the crew following the accident.
“Seb was more shocked than anything else, nothing broken,” Kankkunen told Rally TV.
Ogier held a 20-second advantage when the crash ended his rally.
The accident handed the lead to Toyota teammate Sami Pajari, who entered the final day 46 seconds ahead of Oliver Solberg. World championship leader Elfyn Evans was running third.
“There are still two long stages to do and anything can still happen,” Pajari said.
McLaren’s first victory of the 2026 Formula One season showed that the championship fight is far from settled.
Lando Norris recovered from a poor opening lap to win the Hungarian Grand Prix ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Mercedes championship leader Kimi Antonelli. The result also exposed costly mistakes at Ferrari and raised questions about whether Mercedes can maintain its early advantage after the summer break.
Here are three key takeaways from the Hungaroring.
Ferrari squanders a major opportunity
Ferrari appeared to have the fastest car on Friday, but Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton could only finish fourth and fifth.
Leclerc lost ground with a poor start from second on the grid. Hamilton received a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane, adding to an earlier sanction for impeding Oscar Piastri during qualifying.
Ferrari’s choice of soft tires, pit-stop timing and a late stop during a virtual safety car period also hurt Hamilton’s race. Verstappen gained another place when Red Bull successfully used an undercut.
“It’s not a good Sunday when you were 1-2 on Friday,” Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur said. “We made too many mistakes.”
Hamilton has now collected four penalties in three races. His latest sanction handed third place to Antonelli and left the seven-time champion 50 points behind the Italian after 11 of 23 rounds.
“You can’t make these kinds of mistakes if you want to challenge for a title,” Hamilton said.
Ferrari also trails Mercedes by 72 points in the constructors’ standings, making its missed opportunity in Hungary even more costly.
Norris proves the fight is not over
Norris delivered a controlled recovery after losing positions at the start. His pace and tire management helped him finish 15 seconds ahead of Verstappen for his first win of the year.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella believes Norris has become a more complete driver since winning last season’s championship.
“Lando is much more confident,” Stella said. “He’s much more aware of the tools that he has in his driving and how to deploy these tools.”
The victory reduced Norris’ deficit to Antonelli to 91 points. That remains a considerable gap, but McLaren’s upgraded car could give the defending champion more chances during the second half of the season.
Hungary also suggested that Mercedes no longer enjoys the clear performance edge it held earlier in the year. McLaren has introduced the first of two major upgrade packages, while Red Bull remains close enough to take advantage when its rivals struggle.
Mercedes needs an answer
Antonelli extended his championship lead with third place, but the Italian admitted that Mercedes could not match Norris on outright pace.
“Lando had the upper hand this weekend, even on us,” Antonelli said. “On pure pace, I couldn’t challenge him.”
Mercedes endured a difficult weekend by its standards. George Russell suffered another technical problem, while team principal Toto Wolff acknowledged that rival teams had narrowed the gap.
Antonelli now wants upgrades that can help Mercedes defend its advantage. Last season offers a warning, as Piastri once held a 34-point lead but failed to win the championship.
The summer break will give each team time to assess its next move. When racing resumes, development may prove as important as driving.
Budapest, Hungary | World champion Lando Norris recovered from a difficult opening lap to claim his first victory of the season in a commanding Hungarian Grand Prix performance for McLaren.
The 26-year-old Briton crossed the line 15 seconds ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen to secure the 12th win of his Formula One career. Mercedes driver and championship leader Kimi Antonelli completed the podium.
Norris started from pole position but ran wide at Turn Two during a frantic opening lap, allowing McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri to take the lead. Verstappen moved into second while Lewis Hamilton climbed to fourth after passing Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc.
George Russell endured a disastrous start when his Mercedes entered anti-stall on the grid. He dropped from sixth to 20th as Antonelli moved up to sixth.
Ferrari began the race on soft tires while most of the field chose mediums in scorching conditions. Air temperature reached 31 degrees Celsius, with the track measured at 51 degrees.
Hamilton began losing grip by Lap 10 and stopped four laps later in an attempt to undercut Verstappen. Red Bull responded on the next lap, but the Dutchman rejoined behind Hamilton before reclaiming the position with a move into Turn One.
The pit-stop cycle briefly placed Antonelli in front before Piastri resumed the lead ahead of Norris. McLaren brought the Australian in first after Norris requested a stop, leaving the Briton at the front by the halfway point.
Norris held a five-second advantage over Verstappen before making his second stop on Lap 40. He returned in third, ahead of Piastri, who had narrowly avoided a heavier collision with Carlos Sainz at Turn Two. The Williams driver received a five-second penalty for the incident.
Antonelli inherited the lead after Verstappen stopped again, although Norris quickly closed the gap on fresher tires. The McLaren driver passed the young Italian at Turn One on Lap 46 and immediately began building a comfortable advantage.
McLaren’s hopes of another one-two finish disappeared when Piastri slowed with gearbox trouble and retired. His stoppage triggered a Virtual Safety Car, allowing Norris, Hamilton and Leclerc to switch to soft tires.
Norris controlled the closing laps to repeat his Hungaroring victory from the previous season. McLaren has now won the Hungarian Grand Prix for three consecutive years.
“The car was unbelievable today,” Norris said over team radio. “It’s probably the best pace I’ve ever had. This track is good for us.”
Verstappen described the result as unexpected after struggling with his Red Bull throughout the weekend.
“We had to work very hard for this,” he said after securing another podium finish.
Antonelli held off Hamilton to finish third and increase his championship advantage over the Ferrari driver to 50 points. Hamilton received a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane but retained fifth behind Leclerc.
Isack Hadjar placed sixth in the second Red Bull, followed by Russell and Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson. Nico Huelkenberg earned Audi’s first points of the season in ninth, while rookie Arvid Lindblad completed the top 10.
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